by Edgar Ferrymile

In the 1970's BMW decided they would establish themselves in the class with Porsche and Ferrari by creating a supercar. To do this they figured a design would have to be created that would compete with the Group 5 race car series, and then build it.

There were rules for this racing series which BMW needed to fulfil in order to produce the vehicles. The rules also stated that 400 cars had to be created for road drivability, thus the BMW M1. Unfortunately, the BMW M1 super car experienced some hassles in the development. The tale from this escapade is about what one should not do to make a supercar.

BMW approached Lamborghini to help in the design of the M1. They asked the company to help build the racer. The product of this union was a lustrous, low riding, mid engine vehicle. The bodywork was done by Ital Design. The engine was a 3.5 litre creation with turbocharger allowing for 850 horse power. The engine fit the Group 5 racing specifications.

Unfortunately Lamborghini was in dire financial circumstances at the time, which meant that the project suffered frequent delays and in the end the whole project had to be moved to the BMW motorsport department in Baur, Germany. However, by the time the M1 was ready to be launched in 1978, two years after its initial conception, Group 5 racing rules had changed meaning that the M1 was no longer practical.

All of the work that was required for the M1 was not wasted because BMW decided to form a race series in which the M1 super car could race. They called it the Procar BMW M1 Championship. It was a great idea since it was a support race for the Formula 1 Championships of the World race. The F1 stars like Ayrton Senna, Nikki Lauda, and Nelson Piquet were pitted against each other in the same vehicle.

The race was a success, but the BMW M1 never reached the hopes of its designers. The trim allowed for 277 horsepower, and 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds. The top speed was 162 miles per hour. 456 models of the M1 were built, and today collectors of vehicles still seek this machine.

The BMW series was great for road travel with high performance, quality construction, and low running costs. It was better than other supercars of its time. The exterior of the vehicle had two kidney shaped front grilles with pop up headlamps, and black slats on the rear windshield.

Whilst commercially the BMW M1 was never really a success its engine was subsequently used in the first BMW M5, and its design inspired BMW's recent M1 Homage concept car.

About the Author:
Whilst production of the BMW M1 has long since ceased, the tradition of building world class, high performance road cars continues with the BMW M3. Meanwhile for drivers on a tighter budget, cars like the Caterham 7 offer the same level of performance as the M3 but at a fraction of the price.

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