Mystery behind ‘brand-new’ 2004 BMW M3 CSL dumped with just 37 miles on the clock

Mystery surrounds a 'brand-new' 2004 BMW M3 CSL – a rare and highly collectible version of the iconic German sports-coupe – that has apparently been dumped in an underground car park in London for almost 20 years.

Aside from a thick layer of car-park dust, two wheel clamps, and a detached corner of the rear bumper – presumably caused by a passing car – and a couple of minor scrapes, the 2004 BMW M3 CSL is in immaculate condition.

Car enthusiasts who have inspected the vehicle say it has just 37 miles (or 60km) on the odometer, having been driven from the dealership to the car park almost 20 years ago – and it has apparently never turned a wheel or seen the light of day since.

The vehicle – which cost $210,000 when new in Australia in 2004, the equivalent of $330,000-plus in today's terms when adjusted for inflation – has social media commenters in a fuss wanting to know why such an exclusive vehicle has been left to waste away.

According to the Instagram page, Mildly Interesting Cars of London:

"Rumour has it, that on the 4th of August 2004, a businessman took a trip from London to Reading to pick up his brand new (BMW) E46 M3 CSL.

"He then drove his car back home, putting only 37 miles on the clock before parking it up at an undisclosed, monitored underground car park in London and leaving it there.

"This M3 CSL has been parked here since the day it was collected in 2004. It's never had an MOT (road safety inspection), never had any sort of service, and has only ever seen daylight the one day it was driven here.

"It's been clamped twice, by what I've been told was a private company prior to the private clamping law change in 2019.

"I assume the owner of the car lost contact with the parking space owner during the two-decade stint it's been here.

"The front-right wheel is scuffed, probably by the notoriously blind, tall and tight curbs that grace the entry of every underground car park in the city.

"The rear bumper has taken a whack, presumably by someone failing miserably to navigate themselves back up the car park ramp. I assume the front driver's (side) mirror was wounded here as collateral damage too."

The Mildly Interesting Cars of London Instagram post went on to say: "Records indicate a mysterious driver change in 2013, but the car stayed put.

"Perhaps it was handed down to a family member for whatever reason. It's not all forgotten, though, as recently the 2004 tax disc (registration paperwork) in the window got flipped to hide the numbers.

"Is this one of the lowest mileage (BMW M3) CSLs in the world? Will it ever see the road again?" the Instagram post asks.

All fair questions we reckon. That said, would you take a risk on a high-performance car that hasn't been driven in close to 20 years? What condition would the engine and transmission oil be in? The coolant? The rubber seals and bushes?

So many questions, so few answers.

Photos: Mildly Interesting Cars of London (Instagram).