For sale: a BMW M3 CSL at €109,500. What could you buy for that money?

That is the price set for one of the 1,383 units built of the BMW M3 CSL, one of those vehicles already classed as “classics” without needing to be old.

This particular unit, it must be said, is priced far above the average established in the used market for this model.

The BMW M3 has always been taken as one of the benchmarks of the sports car segment since its debut with the e30 generation back in 1986, when the first units were delivered. With the third generation of the M3, built on the e46 3 Series, came a special edition that would revolutionise the panorama of the time. We are talking about the M3 CSL, an edition limited to 1,383 units that immediately won over enthusiasts and outsiders alike.

It was a “reinterpretation” of the M3 concept, made more aggressive and tuned to the extreme. Its 3.2-litre, six-cylinder inline engine delivered 360 CV in this edition, and it was offered only with a six-speed SMG II sequential manual gearbox. The CSL’s handling drew all kinds of praise around the world thanks to the excellent work of the brand’s engineers, who had fine-tuned every system on the car to the maximum, while also reducing weight through the use of materials such as carbon fibre.

Without question, the M3 CSL is one of “the M3s” par excellence. So much so that the owner of the unit we bring you has decided to sell it for €109,500, a price even higher than what it cost new (€94,500 in Spain). It is, it must be said, a unit in “pluperfect” condition, with only 40,000 km on the clock and every care imaginable.

Still, a doubt arises…what could you buy for €109,500 if this magnificent unit doesn’t convince you? Here are a few alternatives:

• Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid (€100,800): The mega saloon from the star brand has been completely renewed in this new generation, and it is now more Mercedes than ever thanks to a technological load never seen before and a refinement worthy of the best cars in the world. In this configuration it pairs a petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver a total of 333 CV.

• Nissan GT-R Premium Edition (€106,650): This Japanese supercar far surpasses the CSL in performance (and 99% of the vehicles currently on sale) thanks to a 3.8 V6 engine producing 550 CV. Combined with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, it offers levels of effectiveness similar to a competition vehicle. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds and reaches 315 km/h, although, it must be said, it is not as fun or exhilarating to drive as the CSL, and it will never become a cult object the way the German creation has.

• Land Rover Range Rover 3.0 TDV6 HSE (€100,900): Certainly, if you are looking for a luxury super off-roader, the Range Rover cannot fail to appear on the list. If instead of a sports car or a saloon you are after a luxury SUV, the Range Rover in its 3.0 TDV6 HSE version stands out as one of the priority options. This new generation is enjoying tremendous success thanks to a new chassis that has cut weight by up to 400 kg, while keeping its typically British image and, of course, off-road qualities well above average.

• Porsche Cayman GT4 (€99,094): This option is perhaps the closest to buying a new M3 CSL today. The Cayman GT4 was unveiled only a few months ago promising “the sensations of a 911 GT3 at the price of a Cayman”, and it can be said it has delivered. The recipe applied to this model is similar to the one BMW used on the CSL: reduced weight, removal of superfluous elements, premium materials, a tighter engine and radical driving adjustments, which make the GT4 a true curve-devouring machine both on the road and on the track.

Having presented four options from different segments, which would you choose?