Tag Archives: V8

Restomod

This BMW E9 CSL Restomod Is the V8-Powered M Car BMW Never Built

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The BMW E9 CSL occupies a sacred place in the brand’s history. Lightweight, elegant, and instantly recognizable thanks to its dramatic “Batmobile” aero package, it remains one of Munich’s most celebrated performance cars. Yet for all its motorsport pedigree, the original CSL never enjoyed the kind of power modern enthusiasts crave.

That’s where this remarkable one-off creation comes in.

Built roughly a decade ago by German workshop MKO, founded by BMW enthusiast Michael Oberhauser, this machine answers a question nobody at BMW ever officially dared ask: What if an E9 CSL had been developed using the heart and soul of an E39 M5?

The answer is sitting before us in steel, aluminum, and hand-crafted ingenuity.

Rather than performing a simple engine swap, MKO essentially merged two generations of BMW performance legends into a single cohesive package. The project reportedly began with an E39 M5 and components sourced from two E9 CS coupes. What followed was a painstaking transformation that blended 1970s styling with the engineering of one of BMW’s greatest modern sports sedans.

The surgery went far beyond cosmetic alterations. According to details from the original build story, the upper structure of the M5 was removed, the wheelbase shortened by nearly eight inches, and an E9 roof grafted onto the modified chassis. The goal wasn’t simply to recreate the look of a classic coupe—it was to preserve its delicate proportions while retaining the mechanical sophistication underneath.

Achieving that balance required extensive bodywork. The front fenders were widened by roughly 2.5 inches, while the rear arches gained around four inches of additional width. Much of the custom fabrication was completed in Romania, where craftsmen hand-formed bespoke body panels to create a seamless blend of old and new.

The finished product looks as though BMW’s skunkworks division secretly built a restomod decades before the term became fashionable.

Visual cues pay tribute to the legendary 3.0 CSL “Batmobile,” including a roof-mounted spoiler, small front-fender aero fins, classic Hella driving lamps, and period-inspired badging. The body wears Porsche-sourced paint and now rides on 19-inch Alpina-style wheels wrapped in sticky Continental SportContact 7 tires. Early versions reportedly wore standard E39 M5 wheels, but the current setup better suits the car’s muscular stance.

Inside, the modern underpinnings become more apparent. A modified E39 M5 dashboard remains in place, accompanied by heated Recaro seats, dual-zone climate control, power windows, and a Pioneer touchscreen infotainment system. It’s an unusual mix of classic grand tourer and modern sports sedan, complete with creative engineering solutions such as relocating the driver’s window switch to the center console.

The real star, however, lives beneath the hood.

Power comes from BMW’s legendary 4.9-liter S62 V8, the naturally aspirated masterpiece that made the E39 M5 a performance benchmark. In this application, the engine has been reworked to produce 432 horsepower, all sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.

Considering the E9’s significantly smaller dimensions and lower visual mass, the combination borders on outrageous.

Handling upgrades include adjustable KW coilovers and the M5’s braking hardware, giving the car the stopping power and chassis control needed to keep pace with its muscular powertrain. The result is less a restoration than a BMW hot rod—one that combines the analogue charm of the 1970s with the mechanical confidence of one of the greatest M cars ever built.

It’s the sort of machine that could only exist outside BMW’s corporate walls: too expensive, too complicated, and perhaps too niche for production. Yet that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating.

Now, after years of turning heads and challenging conventional BMW history, this singular creation is looking for a new caretaker. Listed through Bring a Trailer Germany, the hand-built CSL-M5 hybrid had attracted bids of €42,225 at the time of writing.

For BMW enthusiasts, that’s a small price for a glimpse into an alternate universe—one where the E9 CSL never stopped evolving.

Source: Autocar

NEW CARS

Mercedes Gives the S-Class a Flat-Plane V8

Mercedes-Benz doesn’t usually do mid-cycle refreshes with a flamethrower. But for 2026, the S-Class is getting exactly that—a ground-up rethink that Stuttgart is calling the most extensive update within a single generation in the model’s 50-plus-year history. That’s not marketing fluff. More than half of the car’s components have been reworked, the tech stack has been rewritten, and—because this is still a proper flagship—the V8 has been fundamentally re-engineered.

Let’s start with the headline: the S-Class is going flat-plane.

When the camouflage comes off in the coming weeks, the visual tweaks will matter less than what’s hiding under the hood of the V8 models. The outgoing M176 4.0-liter V8 gives way to a revised M177 that ditches the traditional cross-plane crankshaft in favor of a flat-plane design—the same basic philosophy used in the AMG GT Black Series. Yes, that’s a race-bred solution finding its way into a chauffeured luxury sedan, and no, Mercedes isn’t apologizing for it.

For the uninitiated, a flat-plane crank arranges its crank pins at 180 degrees rather than the 90-degree “X” layout of a cross-plane V8. The result is a lighter, freer-revving engine with evenly spaced firing pulses, a sharper throttle response, and a higher-pitched, more exotic soundtrack. Think less bassy burble, more mechanical snarl—especially as the tach needle climbs.

Crucially, this isn’t about sacrificing character in the name of emissions compliance. Quite the opposite. Output in the mild-hybrid S580 jumps from 496 horsepower to 530, trimming the 0–62-mph sprint toward the four-second mark. Engineers say the flat-plane setup actually helps reduce emissions while unlocking more performance—a rare win-win in today’s regulatory climate.

The Maybach S580 will be next in line, using a higher-output version of the same engine tuned to 603 horsepower. That motor replaces the outgoing V12, which Mercedes is quietly ushering off the European stage. It’s the end of an era, sure—but the replacement is faster, cleaner, and far more scalable across the lineup.

AMG’s updated S63 hasn’t been shown yet, but don’t expect it to sit this party out. The flat-plane M177 is also destined for other heavy hitters, including the upcoming CLE 63, signaling a broader shift in AMG’s V8 philosophy.

If V8 fireworks aren’t your thing—or your market won’t have them—the straight-six S-Class models carry on. The plug-in-hybrid S580e, in particular, gets a meaningful boost: the turbocharged inline-six rises from 362 to 443 horsepower, the electric motor increases output to 161 horsepower, and combined system power lands at a healthy 577 horses.

Inside, the changes are quieter but arguably more important. The refreshed S-Class debuts a significantly updated version of Mercedes’ MB.OS operating system, riding on what the company calls a new service-oriented electrical and electronic architecture. Translation: faster processing, more flexibility for future updates, and a digital experience that won’t feel dated five minutes after delivery.

Mercedes says the revamped S-Class is now in the final stages of road testing and close to series production. UK sales begin later this year, with pricing nudging above the current £100,000 entry point.

In a segment increasingly obsessed with electrification and autonomy buzzwords, Mercedes has taken a different tack: evolve everything, but don’t forget what makes a flagship special. A flat-plane-crank V8 in an S-Class may sound borderline unhinged—and that’s exactly why it works.

Source: Mercedes-Benz; Photos: Autocar

News

Dodge Is So Back: A V-8 Revival Could Be Brewing in Detroit

Dodge is firing on all cylinders again—literally. After a brief flirtation with electrification under former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the American muscle brand seems ready to burn some gasoline again. The latest buzz? Dodge might be bringing back a V-8-powered muscle car.

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that Stellantis is preparing a major U.S. manufacturing expansion under its new CEO, Antonio Filosa, doubling its previous $5 billion investment to a hefty $10 billion over the next few years. The cash infusion will focus on Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, funding the reopening of shuttered plants in Illinois and Michigan, hiring hundreds of workers, and—here’s the fun part—potentially developing a new V-8 machine wearing the Dodge badge.

Let’s say it together: Hell. Yeah.

While Stellantis hasn’t confirmed anything yet, Bloomberg notes the investment “could result in a new Dodge V-8 muscle car.” That alone is enough to get every gearhead’s heart rate up.

This isn’t the first time the rumor mill’s revved up over a V-8 comeback. Back in August, when asked whether the new Charger’s platform could accommodate an eight-cylinder engine, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear coyly responded, “Don’t be surprised if it would fit.” That’s not exactly corporate-speak for “no.”

Since then, Dodge has quietly backed away from its ambitious EV roadmap. The high-performance Charger Banshee EV, once touted as the brand’s 900-horsepower electric halo car, has reportedly been canceled. Instead, Dodge is shifting its focus to the Charger Sixpack—a gas-powered model using the brand’s new twin-turbo inline-six—and a smaller lineup of streamlined EVs.

But with this latest investment and the sudden silence around the Banshee, the signs are impossible to ignore. The winds are changing in Auburn Hills.

For a brand that built its identity on tire smoke, noise, and unapologetic excess, a V-8 revival isn’t just a business move—it’s a homecoming. And if the rumors prove true, Dodge could soon be back where it belongs: lighting up drag strips, annoying homeowners’ associations, and reminding everyone why we fell in love with American muscle in the first place.

Source: Bloomberg