At the 2015 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este->ke2163, BMW->ke178 unveiled the 2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage, a concept car paying tribute to the 1972 BMW 3.0 CLS, also known as the "Batmobile." Three months have passed since then, and Munich unveiled a new concept->ke169 vehicle on U.S. soil, this time around at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance->ke2839. The study in question is dubbed the 3.0 CSL Hommage R, and it's essentially the racing version of the previous concept.

The new coupe->ke141 honors the racing->ke2345 success of the 3.0 CSL race car and also marks BMW's->ke178 40th anniversary in North America. In this regard, the Hommage R is similar to the 2015 BMW Z4 GTLM race car the Germans introduced ahead of the 2015 12 Hours of Sebring. Both feature the blue, purple, and red livery of the original 3.0 CSL racer, as well as the same number 25 BMW of North America used when it won the 12 Hours of Sebring for the first time in 1975.

"All the details from the BMW 3.0 CSL are present in the Hommage model. And they are all there to be discovered in their original form. It’s a bow to the 1975 car," said Karim Habib, head of design at BMW.

Though the livery and the slightly revised aerodynamics are the only features that help the Hommage R stand out in terms of design, the racing concept received some cool features on the inside as well, including a race helmet visor that acts as a head-up display. Keep reading to find out more about that.

Updated 09/07/2015: Our man Jonathan Lopez took some pics at Monterey Car Week. Enjoy!

Continue reading to learn more about the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R.

2016 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R

Specifications

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• Model: 2016 BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R
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Pros

Cons

Exterior

At first glance, the Hommage R seems to be a repainted version of the Hommage concept shown earlier in 2015. Upon closer inspection, however, several race-inspired features begin to surface, starting with the larger front splitter and the black mesh incorporated into the massive twin-kidney grille. For reference, the grille on the "road-going" concept has chrome, horizontal slats.

On the sides, there are prominent exhaust pipes toward the rear fenders, just like the original, race-spec 3.0 CSL had, and gold-painted wheels. Around back, a larger diffuser is the only detail setting this race-spec concept apart from the Hommage.

Then there's the gorgeous BMW Motorsport livery consisting of the iconic red, purple, and blue stripes. The layout is again similar to the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL that won the 12 Hours of Sebring back in 1975, as are the "25" decals on the doors and engine hood. All told, the Hommage R is more than worthy of the 3.0 CSL badge.

Interior

The Hommage R's interior is also nearly identical to the Hommage's, sporting the exact same dashboard and instrument cluster, the same DTM-inspited steering wheel, and similar door panels. However, the Hommage R has a carbon-fiber rollcage integrate into the structure of its roof and side sections, as well as a pair of race-spec front seats. The seats are also wrapped in white leather, whereas the Hommage's bucket seats were black and featured yellow stitching. Furthermore, the R's dashboard displays more information than the regular Hommage concept on each side of the center-mounted eBoost charging display.

But the coolest feature here is the special race helmet BMW designed for this car. Specifically, the helmet's visor works as an augmented reality display, which enables the driver to actually wear the head-up display instead of viewing it on the windshield. The visor displays not only basic vehicle information such as speed, gearing, and engine revs into the driver's direct field of view, but also shows the ideal line through a turn. All the information is sent to the visor through a race suit design by Puma with illuminated piping integrated into the sleeves. When both hands are on the steering wheel the suit lights up and as the information travels toward the helmet.

This tech could very well become the next generation of racing helmets.

Drivetrain

BMW had nothing to say about the Hommage R's drivetrain, but given the car features an eBoost charging display, it's safe to assume it is powered by the same "powerful six-cylinder in-line engine with eBoost" from the Hommage concept. The hybrid->ke147 drivetrain likely combines a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder gasoline engine with a pair of electric->ke1030 motors for a total output of around 500 horsepower.

Conclusion

Much like the previous Hommage concept, the 3.0 CSL Hommage R is a great way to pay tribute to one of BMW's most iconic race cars and celebrate the brand's 40th anniversary in North America. Though it's a bit disappointing to know that this concept won't result in a revival of the 3.0 CSL nameplate, the fact that the M4 is around as the company's high-performance compact coupe -- soon to be followed by the track-focused 2016 BMW M4 GTS -- makes the pain go down easier. As much as I'd want for this concept car to become a production model, I'm actually glad BMW looked back upon its glorious past for show car.