[The Big Test]
Think you’ve missed the buy-now BMW boat? Think again. Our selection proves there are still some Munich-made thrill-seekers that haven’t been hyped beyond feasibility for enthusiasts
The Ultimate Driving Machine tag smacks of hyperbole, but that cornerstone of BMW’s mantra is no such thing. The Munich giant is famed for placing driving dynamics high up its priority list, with even its humblest offerings cornering at least well enough to impress your average driver. And if you wanted a spirited commute behind a premium badge – which plenty in the UK do – you were in luck.
Well, sort of, because that popularity with British drivers has heaped price appreciation on most of the halo models. Thankfully, a few have so far avoided speculator attention. Our great-driving gaggle gathered here all manage to thrill from behind the wheel, but also come with the added sweetener that you’re not paying a hype-inflated premium...
It’s fitting we commence our delve into desirable BMWs past with the E9 3.0CSi. Along with its smaller Neue Klasse saloon siblings, it effectively secured its firm’s resurgence. The 1602–2002 models elevated BMW’s reputation in the eyes of enthusiastic drivers thanks to great build quality, engaging chassis and punchy four-cylinder engines. The pivotal range not only spawned such greats as the 2002 Tii and Turbo, but also laid the foundation for the first 3 Series.
As BMW proved earlier with 507, moving upmarket provided a useful boost to reputation, if not revenue. Elegant upmarket coupés were a logical progression, and since Osnabrück-based coachbuilder Karmann had done a great job with the E3 Coupé, it got the nod to make its successor. E9 production began in 1968, with the 2800CS marking a return to six-cylinder power – two-door E3s were four-cylinder only. At launch, the E9 drew comparisons with the V8-powered Bertone 3200CS; incidentally the first BMW to feature the ‘Hoffmeister Kink’ in the C pillar. The range was further developed in 1971 with a fuel-injected 3.0-litre version of the M30 straight-six, which powers both the CSi here and its higher profile, homologated CSL cousin.
It’s near impossible not to fawn over the E9’s lines; it’s far more elegant and less brutal than its 6 Series successor. The work of BMW’s in-house design team, headed by Wilhelm Hofmeister – yes, he of Kink fame – the E9’s profile is dominated by a slightly too tall glass house, with thin pillars granting exceptional visibility. Pillarless sides also let copious light illuminate a cabin that’s just as well thought out as its exterior. Wrap-around wood and vinyl cover dash and door cards, only interrupted by attractive, large chrome-ringed dials behind an age-appropriately enormous steering wheel.
Pushing this CSi’s long-throw transmission through
