|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
V8 |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
-- |
Torque |
-- |
|
HP |
160
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
-- |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
-- |
Top Speed |
-- |
(from BMW Press
Release) Driving pleasure, lightness, elegance: from the BMW
3200 CS to the BMW 3.0 CSL.
In 1962, a coupe made
its debut, the successor to the BMW 503; the design leaned towards
the Italian flair prevalent at the time and expressed this idiom
with even more intensity. Nuccio Bertone, a coachbuilder from Turin,
designed a sporty, elegant and yet remarkably spacious dress of
steel for the BMW 3200 CS. An unmistakable element of the design was
the Hofmeister Knick, or Hofmeister Kink, integrated into the look
of the side windows, something used for the first time on a
two-seater. This design element was named after BMW's Head Designer
Wilhelm Hofmeister and is an opposed curve at the base of the
C-pillar, something which still distinguishes BMW automobiles today.
The BMW 3200 CS was powered by a 160 hp V8 engine, had a top speed
of 200 km/h and above all symbolised an air of assured prestige in
the luxury segment, in addition to its confident sportiness.
The trend towards
lightness, the Italian influence, was carried through to the design
of the next generation of coupes. In 1965, two four-cylinder models
were launched, the BMW 2000 C with 100 hp and the BMW 2000 CS with
120 hp. Their independent coupe bodywork forms were complemented
with striking design elements by Wilhelm Hofmeister. The filigree
roof construction with slender A and C-columns including the
Hofmeister Knick blended well with an unmistakable front section
with trapezoidal headlights and an accented, slim BMW kidney contour
on the radiator grille. The powerfully expressive design, sporting
driving characteristics, which included an automatic transmission,
met with great approval and rapidly resulted in very substantial
sales figures.
