Mysterious BMW M3 CSL abandoned in London moved after nearly 20 years

A rare abandoned BMW M3 CSL was finally moved out of a car park where it had sat dormant for nearly two decades.

The tale of this particular BMW is a sad one.

It had been neglected for a long time, sitting alone in a cold concrete car park, waiting for someone to rev the engine once again.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

However, there was a light at the end of the exit ramp, as the car was spotted moving out of the parking lot, possibly set for a new lease of life.

Let’s hope so, anyway.

This is a seriously rare BMW M3 CSL

What makes this story so interesting – apart from the obvious mystery – is that there are not many cars out there like this one.

This BMW M3 CSL is a 2004 model and is actually one of just 1383 that were ever made.

When it rolled off the production line it could have produced 360 horsepower at a dramatically lower weight than other M3s, so it would have been able to shift.

It lapped the Nürburgring in just under eight minutes if you needed confirmation of that.

A car as rare and powerful as this getting abandoned was big news in the community.

There are so many questions – why was it just left there, who owned it, and what happened to them?

After all, if you owned this car, you’re unlikely to forget about it, much like this Romanian billionaire, or the Harry Potter actor who forgot about his Rolls-Royce Phantom.

No, this car was there for a reason, the problem is that we have no idea what that is.

What does the future hold for the abandoned BMW?

The car has reportedly been off the road since its registration ran out in 2006 – a long time ago, then – and it had been festering in the car park ever since.

However, that all changed back in October 2023 when, after 17 years of inactivity, the car was seen being placed onto a trailer pulled by a Range Rover.

It’s a long time since it has moved, but this may have marked the start of a new era for the BMW M3 CSL.

Photos shared on Instagram by @london_barn_find confirmed that it had indeed left the car park for good, but didn’t provide any further information as to where it might have been going.

To be fair, the car park that it had stayed in for so long might not have been the worst place for it.

Sure, it’s not as safe as this secure facility, which actually isn’t that far away from London, but it’s not bad.

It’s inside, at least.

It can’t have been in as bad condition as some cars that are left to rot at the mercy of time, anyway.

There were rumors that the car had been sold and is set to be restored, and we can only hope they are true.

After all, it’s such a shame to see a car as rare and impressive as this one sitting idle in a London parking lot.