Powertrain families
M30 inline-six
New Six (E9) — Coupe
1968–1975
Editorially reviewedReviewed 2026-08-10; market and model-year scope is stated in the record sources.
- Internal code
- E9
- Production
- 1968–1975
- Body style
- 2-door coupe
- Platform
- historic BMW platform · model-specific layout
Body variants
New Six → E9 → Coupe
New Six E9: history, design and engineering
How this generation came about, what made it different and how the selected coupe fits into the family.
The E9 evolved the earlier Karmann-built 2000 C/CS coupe to accept BMW's M30 straight-six. Its wheelbase and nose were lengthened, the front styling was aligned with the E3 sedan, and the pillarless glasshouse remained a defining part of the separate coupe body.
The range began with the 2800 CS and developed through 3.0 CS and fuel-injected 3.0 CSi versions. The 3.0 CSL was not a styling package: it was a weight-reduced homologation family with market- and production-stage differences in body material, equipment, aerodynamics, displacement and injection specification.
E9's racing programme and homologation derivatives helped establish BMW Motorsport's early identity, but race-car specifications must not be copied into road-car records. Standard CS/CSi, road CSL and competition cars require separate technical and production scopes.
1968–1975generation lifecycle
1body branches
1engine/drive families
5range designations
E9factory code
historic BMW platform · model-specific layoutarchitecture
Coupe: dimensions and packaging
Dimensions can change with body, market and model year, so this page keeps them tied to the exact factory branch.
Length4,660 mm
Width1,670 mm
Height1,370 mm
Wheelbase2,624 mm
Luggage≈ 450 L
Fuel tank70 L
Seats4
Doors2-door coupe
| Body | Code | Production | Doors / seats | Length | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coupe | E9 | 1968–1975 | 2-door coupe / 4 | 4,660 mm | ≈ 450 L |
Engines and powertrains
The generation could span very different engines and drivetrains. The table keeps output, gearbox, market and production period together.
Factory modification matrix
Documented coupe applications; output and availability remain market- and model-year-specific.
| Model | Years | Engine | Output | Transmission | Drive | Market | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2800 CS | 1968–1971 | M30B28 inline-six | 170 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Coupé (E9) |
| 3.0 CS | 1971–1975 | M30B30 inline-six · carburettors | 180 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Coupé (E9) |
| 3.0 CSi | 1971–1975 | M30B30 inline-six · fuel injection | 200 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Global range | BMW New Six Coupé (E9) |
| 3.0 CSL | 1971–1975 | M30 3.0–3.2 L inline-six | 180–206 hp | 4MT | RWD | Europe | BMW New Six Coupé (E9) |
| 2.5 CS | 1974–1975 | M30B25 inline-six | 150 hp | 4MT / 3AT | RWD | Europe | BMW New Six Coupé (E9) |
Factory designations
2800 CS · 3.0 CS · 3.0 CSi · 3.0 CSL · 2.5 CS
Petrol engines
Inline and V engines are grouped by engine family, displacement, induction system and emissions specification.
Diesel derivatives
Where diesels were offered, output, injection generation and emissions hardware are recorded market by market.
How power reaches the road
Gearboxes, driven wheels and final-drive hardware changed with engine, market and production date.
Transmissions
Gearbox type and unit code follow engine, market and production date. Gear count alone does not identify the transmission.
Driven wheels
Catalog architecture: historic BMW platform · model-specific layout. All-wheel-drive availability and hardware remain derivative-specific.
Final drive
Ratio, differential type and electronic control belong to the exact derivative and can differ on performance models.
What changed underneath
Suspension, brakes, safety systems and electronics evolved across the range, even when cars shared the same basic architecture.
Body-branch dimensions
- E9: 4,660 mm × 1,670 mm × 1,370 mm
Body & suspension
- Mounting points and geometry follow the body branch
- Springs and dampers follow axle load and chassis package
- Wheels and permitted loads follow the factory label
Brakes & steering
- Brake size follows engine and equipment
- Assistance type and steering ratio can change
- ABS/DSC generation follows model year
Passive safety
- Airbag count varies by market and year
- SRS parts are VIN-specific
- Structural repairs require factory procedures
Electronics
- Vehicle-bus generations changed during production
- Control-unit software levels must remain compatible
- Retrofits are recorded separately from factory equipment
How the generation evolved
The important launches, additions and updates did not always happen at the same time for every body or market.
2800 CS
The six-cylinder E9 entered production as an enlarged, restyled development of the 2000 CS coupe.
3.0 CS and 3.0 CSi
Three-litre carburetted and fuel-injected derivatives expanded the regular road range.
CSL homologation stages
Successive lightweight road versions supported racing homologation; equipment and engine specification varied by stage and market.
Road production ends
E9 road-car production closed before the E24 established the 6 Series coupe line.
The versions that stood apart
Performance models, option packages and regional editions may look related, but their engineering and production identity can be very different.
Coupe
E9New Six E9 is a distinct E9 body branch. A lower-roof two-door body with longer doors and a more overtly sporting brief than the corresponding sedan. Engines/drive: M30 inline-six.
Inside the car
Cabin technology and standard equipment changed by country and year; a build sheet remains the best guide to one individual car.
Cabin & comfort
- Trim and seats follow option codes
- Climate systems vary by market
- Audio and navigation changed by model year
Lighting & assistance
- Lamp technology and modules follow production date
- Driver assistance cannot be inferred from buttons alone
- Regional rules affect lighting and warnings
What to check today
A practical starting point for inspecting and maintaining a car from this generation — not a diagnosis of an individual example.
Identify first
- Match VIN on body and documents
- Obtain the factory option list
- Confirm market and production date
Inspect the structure
- Check repairs and corrosion
- Assess suspension, brakes and tyres
- Compare fitted parts with factory specification
Mechanical history
- Read faults with compatible diagnostics
- Verify engine and transmission maintenance
- Separate invoices from unsupported verbal history
| Item | Interval / trigger | Catalog note |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | CBS/factory schedule; time and mileage for historic cars | Oil approval follows the exact engine and market. |
| Brake fluid | Time-based factory schedule | ABS/DSC-compatible bleeding procedure is required after hydraulic work. |
| Coolant | Factory schedule and condition | Fluid specification and bleeding method are generation-specific. |
| Transmission & final drives | Unit type and operating conditions | Use the exact approved fluid; no one interval fits every derivative. |
How to identify the exact car
The badge and registration year tell only part of the story; production date, body code, engine and factory options complete it.
- Factory body codes
- E9 — Coupe
- Range designations
- 2800 CS, 3.0 CS, 3.0 CSi, 3.0 CSL, 2.5 CS
- Powertrain families
- M30 inline-six
- VIN
- Identifies model, plant and production branch and keys the parts catalog and factory equipment record.
- Production date
- More useful than first-registration year when choosing parts and locating technical revisions.
- Type code
- Refines engine, body, market and transmission combination.
- Option codes
- Confirm factory equipment; later retrofits are recorded separately.
- Unit number
- Supports engine or gearbox originality checks and component applicability.
Where the information comes from
The story is mapped through English Wikipedia and its bibliography, then important dates and technical claims are checked against BMW material.
- 01BMW E9Wikipedia contributors
Secondary development, road-model, homologation and competition history.
- 02BMW Large Coupe (E9)BMW Group Archive
Factory-archive E9 model-series context and 1968 upper-class return.
- 03BMW 3.0 CSL (E9), 200 hpBMW Group Archive
Factory-archive reference for one documented road CSL production stage.
Notes and limitations
- Research revision dated 2026-08-10: English Wikipedia was used as a subject and bibliography map; key claims were checked against the listed primary BMW Group material.
- Exact CSL production totals, engine outputs and ‘Batmobile’ aerodynamics vary by homologation batch and market. They remain excluded from global key facts until a batch-level matrix is built.
- The E9 record begins with the six-cylinder 2800 CS. The four-cylinder 2000 C/CS predecessor belongs to a separate New Class coupe branch.
- Tree years describe the worldwide generation lifecycle; individual market dates may be narrower.
- Exact dimensions, power, weight and emissions belong at body, engine, market and model-year level.
- Known-issue guidance is editorial context and never replaces inspection of the individual vehicle.
3 primary references · market differences documentedPhotography: Spanish Coches, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons. Rights checked 2026-08-06; wikimedia commons 1,800 px derivative downloaded; local 640 px and 1,280 px avif versions created without cropping.Updated 6 August 2026