"In this Special Series, I'm taking another step towards the M5 CSL conversion. I document the development, features and conversion process of the E60 M5 CSL carbon roof panel.

In this entry, I discuss the headliner conundrum, and our solution. I receive the pre-production unit of the the E60 M5 CSL carbon roof panel, unbox it and lay out the plan for the conversion."
- Matt

The slicktop problem. 

co·nun·drum: a confusing and difficult problem or question.

My fellow E60 M5 owners, let me introduce you to a common problem in the E46 M3 world: the slicktop headliners.

For E46 communities, sourcing the proper headliner for the CSL carbon roof conversion has been a tumultuous affair of highs and lows for the last decade, culminating in a dead end. 

The headliner is now officially discontinued by BMW. 

They used to be relatively cheap from the dealership, and made for a cost effective solution. You could source them in various colors along with the lesser known Eurospec variant that didn't incorporate the hump into its shape. 

Unfortunately, BMW's supply chain for older generations of its cars is hit or miss. It gets worse when the aftermarket put an expected pressure on demand and molds & production tooling go out of tolerances faster than expected.

Although the E60 M5's carbon roof market is infinitely smaller than the E46s, I planned for the worst. 

In 2022, I was unknowingly lucky enough to source one of the last E46 M3 slicktop headliner available. It was recently reupholstered in Genuine Alcantara. 

The E60 M5 problem. 

The E60 had problems of its own. The M5 was never delivered to the US without a sunroof, only Europeans had the opportunity to spec a slicktop metal roof and its accompanying liner.

Compounding the issue is the upscale nature of the M5 over non-M E60s. We had Alcantara headliners, pillars and rear shelf as standard - in the US. For most Europeans, it was optional. 

The BNIB solution wasn't it. 

As a result, BMW dealerships in the US and Canada are unable to source the original headliner made for the M5. They can find the SKU in their system when presented to them, but ordering it was a no-no. 

Pinging my network of BMW dealerships in Germany, we could locate the SKU and some inventory was available, but none were in the M5's Alcantara. They were solely available in standard black cloth. Dealers were frisky about shipping headliners to the US considering the shipping damage potential. 

Sourcing a recently manufactured headliner with the purpose of reupholstering has problems of its own. From my experience with the E46 M3, BMW suppliers modified the gluing processes over time. It's unclear whether the change is related to quality, manufacturing process efficiency or environmental regulations. 

This change led to an extremely inefficient, time intense process to remove the original cloth and glue. The E46 M3 headliner took over 15 hours to prepare. 

The crafty way forward. 

My intention with the E60 M5 CSL carbon roof panel kit is to deliver a turn key solution for E60 M5 owners to take their critical step towards a CSL conversion. 

Over 500,000 E60s were produced, with most of the lower optioned cars being destined for the European market. With the limited production numbers of the carbon roof panel, odds were on our side. 

As such, I chose the harder, more sustainable way of solving the headliner problem: I would source used headliners from Europe. They would be reconditioned, refoam'ed and reupholstered in Genuine Alcantara 9002, using our experiences with the Bespoke Recaro Seat Program.

Pinging networks of used BMW parts, we took the risk and blindly ordered a headliner from Eastern Europe.

It worked.

The headliner was delivered to Germany, packaged with the pre-production roof and delivered to me later in June '24. I brought the headliner to the upholstery shop to inspect.

As expected, the headliner was standard Black Cloth. 

It had been manufactured in 2006 visibly using the gluing processes of this era. This was a positive for our needs.

Repairs would be needed in certain areas to restore the original shape. This is the risk we take on to provide this complete solution.

This metal bracket had seen better days. 

The center section's vents came with the headliner, but the lights did not. Some components will need to be re-used from your M5's original headliner. 

Foam repairs would be required on certain corner sections to ensure a seamless fitment with pillars and seals. 

The positive aspect of a used headliner is seen below. The original cloth and foam would be easily removed. 

As the headliner had been packaged and shipped with the carbon roof panel, risks of structural damage to the headliner were further limited. 

Least I forget: the carbon roof!

Chronologically, I evidently first unboxed the carbon roof. I had a fan boy moment. 

This might be the appropriate moment to remind everyone reading that I am first and foremost a BMW M owner: I develop these products for my cars, my goals and my enjoyment above all. 

It's unashamedly a selfish process. 

Having the opportunity to develop the CSL carbon roof panel conversion kit is part of a teenage dream of owning a M5 V10 CSL, and I'm immensely grateful for BMW M owners for the support they provide by ordering on EuroConnex.co. 

Your orders finance these illogical projects - and illogical it is. When all is said and done, there's very little profit involved in this specific conversion.

My main business objective with this is generate awareness about what, and I how things to garner interest into the E60 M5 platform once more. 

I immediately unboxed the carbon roof in the driveway. The evening light made for a difficult photoshoot. Pardon the reflections. 

Most important to the aesthetics of a carbon roof panel is the weave quality. The 1x1 weave had been perfectly laid. I could not find any indications of aesthetic deformation. 

The antenna cut out had been performed. Cuts were laser sharp with little signs this had been hand made. 

There were no visible defects in the clear coat on the panel section. Some clear coat pitting was found by the rails section. I expected this, and you should too. I will document the simplicity of the re-clear during installation. 

The E60's roof panel is huge. Handling it was difficult and risky. Still, the beauty of carbon is it can flex without deforming. The overall rigidity of the panel felt very similar to my E46 M3 carbon roof made by Karbonius. 

Arguably the most significant step of the conversion had been completed: we actually had a carbon roof, and the correct headliner. 

We weren't out of the woods yet. 

Up next: I document the restoration process of the slicktop headliner.