Earlier this year, BMW revealed a tribute to its legendary 3.0 CSL, the Hommage. Now the company has used the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for the official world premiere of another. The 3.0 CSL Hommage R has been designed to celebrate 40 years since BMW landed in North America.
Like the 3.0 CSL Hommage, the Hommage R's interior designers have worked to effectively integrate the driver into the cabin. Instead of using traditional dials, or even an adaptive LCD readout, drivers get key information like gear position, speed and revs from the inside of their helmet visor. A small secondary display on the dashboard provides less important info.
The driver's helmet isn't the only piece of equipment that integrates with the car. BMW and Puma have designed the race suit that goes with the CSL Hommage R to light up when the driver's hands are on the wheel, and the piping on the sleeves uses lights to mimic the flow of information from the dash into the driver's helmet.
BMW has designed the CSL's carbon buckets to ensconce the driver, allowing for faster reactions and a more involved driving experience. The seats are finished in white, and the red and blue seatbelts combine to create BMW's traditional motorsport colors.
In the area around the driver's seat, BMW's designers have tried to peel back the curtain on the CSL's lightweight construction by showing off the carbon fiber rollcage, which is integrated into the roof and pillar structure.
The rest of the interior is similarly lightweight in its focus, with the only concession to driver comfort a set of air conditioning vents. A plumbed-in foam fire extinguisher, an emergency cut off and helmet holders in the back can also be found in the interior of the car.
There's very little change to the exterior compared to the earlier 3.0 CSL Hommage, the Hommage R's new red, white and blue paintjob is certainly more flattering than the vivid green from the earlier concept's design, but the oversized kidney grille and bloated flanks have (unfortunately) carried over.
The 3.0 CSL Hommage R is on display alongside the Concept M4 GTS at Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach.
Source: BMW