Italian Coachbuilder Is Turning The BMW M2 Into A Modern 3.0 CSL
Tuning
A running prototype has already hit an Italian hillclimb, while BMW still hasn’t built a lightweight M2 of its own.
Article Summary
- Riverti Automobili’s first car is a G87 M2 with a new body inspired by the 3.0 CSL, including quad round headlights, a shark nose, boxy flares, and a double rear wing.
- Riverti hasn’t announced power, weight, transmission, price, or production numbers, and the stock M2 makes 473 hp from its S58 inline-six.
- The M2 is closer in size to the original E9 than the M4 that BMW used for its 50-unit 3.0 CSL in 2023, but its longer wheelbase, wider body, and unchanged glasshouse make the proportions hard to get right.
An Italian coachbuilder called Riverti Automobili is using the G87 BMW M2 as the base for its first car, and almost none of the M2’s styling survives. The M2-based project is the company’s first model, and it’s a tribute to the 3.0 CSL. The teaser images show four round headlights, a shark nose, boxy flared fenders, and a large rear wing. Riverti hasn’t said much beyond that. Its website is still only a “coming soon” page, and the car hasn’t been officially revealed.
It does run, though. A disguised prototype has already appeared at the Tutto Bene Hillclimb in Italy. For now, the car wears a stylized wrap with the letter R and a black roof, which gives it a two-tone look. Riverti’s own description of the car, in an Instagram post is short: “Not ‘resto.’ Retro.” In other words, this isn’t a restored classic updated with modern parts. It’s a new car made to look old.
What Riverti Changed
The front end changes the most. The G87’s grille and headlights are gone, replaced by four round headlights, small kidney grilles, and reshaped intakes, along with a unique hood and finely spoked wheels in a classic motorsport style. From the side, we’re also getting the vibes of one our favorite BMW Concepts: The BMW 2002 Turbo Hommage. The sides get large intakes behind the doors and new side skirts. At the back, there are flared fenders, custom taillights, and a large fixed wing. There is also a second wing at the edge of the roof, above the decklid wing, which is the most recognizable Batmobile feature.
In terms of size, the M2 is a reasonable starting point. The original 3.0 CSL was 183.5 inches long and 68.1 inches wide on a 103.3-inch wheelbase. The M2 is 180 inches long and 74.3 inches wide on a 108.1-inch wheelbase. So the M2 is slightly shorter overall, but its wheelbase is almost five inches longer and it’s more than six inches wider. That leaves much less room for the long hood and front overhang that define the E9.
What’s Under The Retro Body
Riverti hasn’t said whether it’s making any mechanical changes. The stock M2 uses the S58 twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, which makes 473 hp. Rear-drive cars with the standard six-speed manual make 406 lb-ft of torque. The eight-speed automatic, a no-cost option, raises that to 443 lb-ft. For 2027, BMW also added the M2 xDrive, the first all-wheel-drive M2. It comes only with the automatic and starts at $74,950, including a $1,350 destination fee. If Riverti wants more power, the parts already exist: the M2 CS gets 523 hp and 479 lb-ft from essentially the same engine.
Weight is the part we’re most curious about. Riverti hasn’t said which transmission it will use or whether the engine will get any work, and it hasn’t published a weight. BMW’s own carbon panels haven’t made the M2 light. The M2 CS, with a carbon duck-tail trunk lid, forged wheels, and carbon bucket seats, weighs 3,770 pounds. The standard manual M2 weighs 3,814 pounds. The L in CSL stood for lightweight. A carbon body on a donor that weighs almost two tons would honor the name only if Riverti also removes weight from the parts you can’t see.
BMW Already Built One, And Hasn’t Built The Other
Riverti isn’t the first to revive the CSL name on a modern car. BMW M did it in 2023 for its 50th anniversary. That car was limited to 50 examples, used a 560-hp version of the M4’s straight-six, and came only with a six-speed manual. BMW never published a price, but buyers reportedly paid about €750,000. It also wasn’t homologated for the US market. Compared with that car, Riverti has one advantage: the M2 is closer in size to the E9 than the M4 is.
So without a doubt, this new aftermarket project has a lot of pottential, but it remains to be seen whether it will catch on. Price will always play a factor. [Photos: rivertiautomobili.it]
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