My second BMW 3.0 CSL was, by a stroke of luck, a "Batmobile."

Recall that the "Batmobile" name came about because of the rather wild-looking aero appendages which BMW developed.  These downforce-inducing devices comprised "wind splits" on the front fenders, a hoop at the rear of the roof, and a raised wing and spoiler at the rear of the trunk.  These were found to be essential for improving the high speed stability of the race cars and therefore had to be homologated on the street cars as an "evolutionary change" per the competition rules of the FIA (Fedération International de l'Automobile).  By this point production of the street cars was well along, Series 1 having given way to Series 2 which had now been produced in the hundreds.  To homologate the new aero tweaks, along with a small increase in engine displacement, the Batmobile series of cars was built.  There were two editions of the Batmobile.  The first, some 110 cars, were only available in either white or silver.

My first Bat was one of these 110 cars.  When I bought it, it was best described as a stalled restoration project.  As work on it got underway I wrote to the BMW archives for a history certificate, as I always do for the cars in my collection.  As I was typing the car's VIN into the request a little bell went off in the back of my mind.  There was something about that number… AHA!  This was no ordinary CSL, this was a Bat!!!

After a really beautiful restoration by my good friend and business partner Ron Perry this Bat went to a very distinguished home:  the collection of Bobby Rahal.  Bobby, for those who might not know, is one of the best American racers in modern history (an Indy 500 winner, among many other successes).  He's also a collector, car enthusiast, and all around nice guy.

In the second photo you can see the raison d'etre for the Batmobile: racing. This is Hans Stuck in one of the factory cars, airborne at the Nürburgring (it is one of my favorite race car photos of all time— when I was a boy I had a giant poster of this photo on my bedroom wall). You can just make out the aero aids in the photo: the wind splits, or guide vanes, on the front fenders; the roof hoop, and the famous rear wing.

The first photo is of my street car, complete with those aero devices— well, except for the rear wing which Bobby wasn't sure he wanted mounted! (Actually, that rear wing was not approved for use on street cars in Germany so the cars were delivered with the wing stowed in the trunk— if the owner wanted to flout the law and mount it, well, that was up to him!)