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The BMW CSL homage is strangely odd and beautiful at the same time

28 May 2015, 18:36 PM

UPDATED 5 June 2015, 16:22 PM

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BMW has had several milestones where it turned around the design trends for the rest of the motoring world. Some became the stuff of legend and others became the butt of all (car) butt jokes. Yes E65 7 series, we mean you. Chris Bangle made a design feature out of the trunk by making it (intentionally or otherwise) the focal point of the rear side. It was a trunk that looked like an upturned add-on. Strangely, car makers have followed suit with the Toyota Allion and Suzuki Swift desire, neither of which win hearts for the styling.
That's history for now. Now we have the smooth, sleek flowing surfaces that sculpt every new BMW. And the new CSL homage is yet another exercise in stretching the design boundaries. BMW's design team under Adrian van Hooydonk and Karim Habib set out to recreate one of the brand's icons: the 3.0 CSL famously known as the "Batmobile" because of the massive wings and raised find along the fender flanks. The original and by now priceless classic not only set design standards but it proved its mettle by winning countless races.

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The modern homage is painted in an acidic lemon green like cars of the 60's. It has massively exaggerated proportion like that of the original while managing to keep it all neat and tidy without going bulbous. Typical of modern concepts it has massive 21 inch wheels that help accentuate the ground hugging stance. The rear spells business as it clearly states that this car is potentially going to stay ahead of the pack. The wings are the perfect modern reinterpretation of the classic spoiler that adornedthe original homologated racers. Only one gripe though. What's with those huge squared off mustaches in place of the traditional kidney grills. It is gets any bigger it will be termed as a road hazard since small children and stray dogs will get stuck inside. "The size of the kidney grille is what bothered everyone after seeing the car, but we believe this is a design exercise to emphasize a future design language where the front-end of the cars becomes more massive — just not as massive as this one." Okay, if you say so but we would rather you don't.

BMW insists it is a one-off but it does hint at future design styling elements.

Let us know what you think of the design here.