BMW New Class coupé
Encyclopedia
The BMW New Class coupé, sold as the BMW 2000C or the BMW 2000CS, was a coupé
built by Karmann
for BMW from 1965 to 1969. Based on the New Class
platform, the 2000C and 2000CS introduced the 2.0 L version of the M10
engine. The later E9
coupés, including the 3.0CSL, were based on a stretched 2000CS chassis.
. The new displacement of 1990 cc was achieved with the 80 millimetres (3.1 in) stroke of the 1.8 L version combined with a 89 millimetres (3.5 in) bore. The coupé was built for BMW by Karmann
in Osnabrück
and was available as the 2000C, with a single-carburettor engine delivering 100 hp at 5500 revolutions per minute, or as the 2000CS with a twin-carburettor engine delivering 120 hp at 5500 revolutions per minute. Both versions used a four speed manual transmission
as standard, while the 2000C was available with a three speed automatic transmission
as an optional extra.
coupé was discontinued. The styling was based on the 3200CS and the New Class sedan, but the styling of the front of the car was all-new. The headlights were behind a glass fairing, and the grill consisted solely of a chromed BMW "double-kidney" at the centre of the front. Apart from chrome accents around the headlights and along the top of the front end, the rest of the front was painted metal, with a row of vertical slots behind the bumper to admit air for cooling and engine induction. Reactions to the front end styling have been mixed; Norbye describes it as "a blunt, unattractive front end", Severson agrees, calling the front clip "odd looking" and stating that the details of the front end "do no favors for the looks", while Noakes disagrees, referring to its "imposing front end" being "tidier than the Bertone body's fussy nose" in comparison to the 3200CS.
meant that the New Class coupé would no longer be at the top of the BMW line. The coupe was modified with a longer wheelbase and longer front clip to accommodate the new six-cylinder engine
. The front end styling was also modified to resemble that of the New Six sedan. This resulted in the BMW E9
platform.
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
built by Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
for BMW from 1965 to 1969. Based on the New Class
BMW New Class
The BMW New Class was a line of compact sedans and coupes produced by German automaker BMW starting with the 1962 1500 and continuing through the last 2002s in 1977....
platform, the 2000C and 2000CS introduced the 2.0 L version of the M10
BMW M10
The BMW M10/M12 was a straight-4 piston engine produced from 1961 to 1987. Displacement ranged from 1499 cc to 1990 cc.The engine was designed by noted engineer and race driver Baron Alex von Falkenhausen. He was asked to design a small-displacement engine, but felt that this would be...
engine. The later E9
BMW E9
-BMW 2.5CS:The last version of the E9 to be introduced was the 2.5CS in 1974. This was a response to the 1973 oil crisis, such that the buyer could choose the smaller, more economical engine. The engine, from the 2500 sedan, displaced and produced at 6000 revolutions per minute...
coupés, including the 3.0CSL, were based on a stretched 2000CS chassis.
Technical
The New Class coupé was developed from the New Class sedans to showcase the 2.0 L version of the engine used in the sedansBMW M10
The BMW M10/M12 was a straight-4 piston engine produced from 1961 to 1987. Displacement ranged from 1499 cc to 1990 cc.The engine was designed by noted engineer and race driver Baron Alex von Falkenhausen. He was asked to design a small-displacement engine, but felt that this would be...
. The new displacement of 1990 cc was achieved with the 80 millimetres (3.1 in) stroke of the 1.8 L version combined with a 89 millimetres (3.5 in) bore. The coupé was built for BMW by Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
and was available as the 2000C, with a single-carburettor engine delivering 100 hp at 5500 revolutions per minute, or as the 2000CS with a twin-carburettor engine delivering 120 hp at 5500 revolutions per minute. Both versions used a four speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
as standard, while the 2000C was available with a three speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
as an optional extra.
Styling
The New Class coupé was introduced just after the 3200CSBMW 3200 CS
The BMW 3200 CS was a sports touring car manufactured by BMW between January 1962 and September 1965. It was designed by Bertone and was introduced at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show. More than five hundred were built....
coupé was discontinued. The styling was based on the 3200CS and the New Class sedan, but the styling of the front of the car was all-new. The headlights were behind a glass fairing, and the grill consisted solely of a chromed BMW "double-kidney" at the centre of the front. Apart from chrome accents around the headlights and along the top of the front end, the rest of the front was painted metal, with a row of vertical slots behind the bumper to admit air for cooling and engine induction. Reactions to the front end styling have been mixed; Norbye describes it as "a blunt, unattractive front end", Severson agrees, calling the front clip "odd looking" and stating that the details of the front end "do no favors for the looks", while Noakes disagrees, referring to its "imposing front end" being "tidier than the Bertone body's fussy nose" in comparison to the 3200CS.
Reception
Of the 11,720 New Class coupés built between 1965 and the end of production in mid-1969, 9,999 were twin carburettor 2000CS coupés, 3,249 were single carburettor 2000C coupés with automatic transmission, and 443 were 2000C coupés with manual transmission.Succession
The development of the BMW New SixBMW New Six
The BMW New Six is a line of six-cylinder luxury cars produced by the German automaker BMW from 1968 to 1977. The series was introduced as a response to the Mercedes-Benz-dominated large luxury car class and was very important in establishing BMW's reputation as a maker of sporting, luxury sedans....
meant that the New Class coupé would no longer be at the top of the BMW line. The coupe was modified with a longer wheelbase and longer front clip to accommodate the new six-cylinder engine
BMW M30
The BMW M30 is an inline-6 cylinder engine built by BMW and was used in many different models since 1968. It was originally developed in the late 1960s as an extended 2.5-liter version of the robust inline four-cylinder BMW M10 first used in the 'Neue Klasse' BMW 1500, with which it shares a...
. The front end styling was also modified to resemble that of the New Six sedan. This resulted in the BMW E9
BMW E9
-BMW 2.5CS:The last version of the E9 to be introduced was the 2.5CS in 1974. This was a response to the 1973 oil crisis, such that the buyer could choose the smaller, more economical engine. The engine, from the 2500 sedan, displaced and produced at 6000 revolutions per minute...
platform.