BMW announced the 3.0 CSL Hommage at the 2015 Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este. The original 3.0 CSL was a European championship car in the 1970s.

“Our hommage cars not only demonstrate how proud we are of our heritage, but also how important the past can be in determining our future,” Adrian Van Hooydonk, senior vice president BMW group design, said. “The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage represents a nod to the engineering achievement exemplified by the BMW 3.0 CSL in its lightweight design and performance. with intelligent lightweight construction and modern materials, the 3.0 CSL Hommage brings the character of that earlier model into the 21st century, showing it in a new and exciting guise.”

Like the original, the Hommage focuses on keeping the car lightweight, with carbon fiber used throughout.

“For BMW designers like us, the BMW 3.0 CSL is a style icon,” Karim Habib, head of BMW design, said. “Its combination of racing genes and elegance generates an engaging aesthetic that continues to win hearts even today. the BMW ‘3.0 CSL Hommage’ celebrates many of those characteristic features, but without copying them. Indeed, some of the parallels are not immediately obvious. We wanted people to sense the family resemblance rather than see it straight off.”

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage not only honors its past but also puts in modern luxuries like an infotainment system. The interior does harken back to the car’s racing history with bucket seats, six-point seat belts, and compartments for two helmets.