Did you know it's 30 Years of the M1 in 2008?

M1 Story:

In the autumn of 1978 the 64th Paris Motor Show opened its doors, stand Super-flashes an extremely dynamic subscribed car in the centre of the Interest: The BMW M1, 1140 mm high, 204 kW or ...

... 277 hp strong and well over 260 km / h fast. Exact cost 100,000 Marks The super sports car in 1978.

The first project of Motorsport GmbH.
The M1 was not just racing, you can also travel with him.
1976 was with the project E26, as the beginning of yet nameless M1 house was called, Started. He should separate the first car of the 1972 founded BMW Motorsport GmbH. She was dealing with the fast 2002 and the superior
3.0 CSl in the racing scene worldwide. This success should
A specially constructed vehicle competition for the race of that series Groups 4 and 5 have expanded. The rules for the group saw 4
Vehicles, of which at least 400 copies in 24 consecutive
Had to be built months ago, the two had seats and the outwardly
Serial car still largely similar. That was clear: The E26 had not only
A purebred racing car, but also a zulassungstauglicher
Road sports car. The lines of the new coupe should Italian race
. Model was the turbo Gullwings, with a study of the motor
1972, the BMW designer Paul Bracq ago. On this rather about
Subscribed base created Giorgio Giugiaro the angular profile of the M1. From the Cooperation between Bracq Giugiaro and was previously the 6 Series coupe. At the beginning of motorization were two concepts for election: preliminary studies for Formula motors were, inter alia, in a ten-cylinder with the designation M81 Gemündet, a V-engine cylinder with 144 degree angle. He was in modified form On the possibilities out in sports cars. The team around
Motorsport chief Jochen Neerpasch decided, but quickly for a new
Row Six cylinders, finally said the outstanding experiences in the CSl-hit for this engine concept.
After many rumors had BMW in the spring of 1977 the cat out of the bag and Officially confirmed the development of the super sports car. In the autumn of 1977 BMW announced The first pictures of the new cars in the series version free. Again, half a year Later, the heavyweight his first public appearance. Together with the Former moderator Dieter Kuerten presented Jochen Neerpasch on ZDF gym Around a quarter hour over the Group 4 version in the colors of Motorsport Still Inc. was hit with the starting number 11 not fahrfähig, but still April 1978, the first test drives will be undertaken.

In the autumn it was finally over and the audience was in the first E26 Paris leibhaftig look. Getauft the sports equipment in the name
M1, which for the first car of the Motorsport GmbH stand. The 4360 mm long, 1824 millimetres wide and 1140 mm flat only mid-engine was Flounder
By a 3.5 litre six cylinder series driven, along before
Rear axle was assembled and a maximum of 277 hp provided. This designated as M88 Engine based on the large six-cylinder engine series, and had the four-valve – Cylinder head of CSl racing engines. The cylinder head has two: The lower Formed part of the combustion chamber and the water space, which contained the upper bearing The camshafts and the tappets.
The mixture was by three double Throttle body with six, 46 millimeters Great individual throttle valves for each two inlet channels with 26 per cylinder Millimetres in diameter. In modern state of the art was the
Fully digital ignition system.

A clearer indication of the athletic genes of M1 was the
Dry sump lubrication, finally settled with the sports car high Transverse accelerations. The machine is supplied from two
Fuel tanks, each with 58 litres capacity right and left before the
Rear axle. The power transmission over a ZF five-speed gearbox, with a Two-disc dry clutch with the motor was connected. The Hinterachsdifferential was 40prozentigen equipped with a lock.
The six-cylinder ran across the entire rpm band clean and round, the bottom Field but rather solid. That changed abruptly when the needle
Speed the 5000 meter mark had happened: The M88 pushed to the M1
Cut-off of 7000 tours to come, that even the testers abgebrühte
Swarms challenged: "Indeed, when fully open the throttle valves
A vehement jacking, which also beyond the 200 km / h mark persists. Only when 213 km / h, it is necessary, in the fifth gear to ground, and
Then it goes ahead, up to the maximum speed. "264.7 km / h
Identified Germany's leading car magazine in the fall of 1979. Also, the Acceleration in 5.6 seconds from the stand at 100 pace was no cause
For criticism, with a power to weight ratio of 4.7 kg / hp, the 204 kW or 277 hp Relatively easy game.

Only in M1, then in the F1 around Monaco. The Procar races were a popular Spielwiese the F1 stars.

The M1 was for the screw with each race. The costly suspensions Doppelquerlenkern at each wheel, and two Gasdruckstoßdämpfern remained stabilizers Over the entire speed range beyond all doubt. In the
Road version was the chassis down to a more comfortable instead of Moving parts and a corresponding identical to Feder-/Dämpfer-Abstimmung Group 4 of the racing version. Four innenbelüftete disc brakes caused from Phenomenal pace for any delay. To even with minimal polnem
Aufbaunicken to ensure the front with a 30-percent
Nick compensation. For the time was the almost lush Tyres
VR 16 with 205/50 front and 225/50 rear VR 16.
The low of 460 millimetres focus on the road, the track width of
1550 1576 mm rear, and the mid-engine concept with a
Weight distribution of 44,1:55,9 made the M1 to a predator first curve Grades. But he demanded in a borderline trained hand at the helm. How For mid-engine cars with their low moment of inertia about the vertical axis Characteristic, which was emerging at the rear of the M1 too much Lateral acceleration only through quick and strong counter-steering again Captured. The Direct designed steering rack – without
Servo support – was best suited for any event. After running offset and Lower steering wheel radius guaranteed, despite the operation easier for the Active driver decisive contact with the road. The two joint –
Safety steering column was axially adjustable.

Although he is a sports car par excellence, could be the driver and passenger Certainly enjoy a certain comfort. Thus, the suspension is taut,
Yet they also absorbed the uneven road surfaces without too strong Nehmerqualitäten by the inmates to demand. They sat in the
Lattice steel tube frame rectangular profiles with the glued and vernieteten Plastic outer skin like in a fortress, no twisting track. The
Trunk under the hood for the Wochenendgepäck ranged from two people
And even air conditioning had not renounce. And the M1 was
Certain: As the sports car not by individual acceptance for the road Allowed, but a General Operating Permit (ABE) for the entire
Series had had by BMW crash tests demonstrate the passive safety. A Precautionary measure, which many racers also benefit came later.
The capacity of Motorsport GmbH admittedly not nearly enough, a
Such a car himself completely to develop and build. So far, the Specialist troops focused production vehicles from racing cars, chassis Streamlined and stronger engines. So they looked for a partner and
Found him at Lamborghini, which suffered from overcapacity. While the Audience new super sports car from Munich and the pre bestaunte
Are piled, the M1 manufacturing suffered a setback, however. The assembly of the Car was not as planned at Lamborghini implemented, the contract
Instead went to the bodywork specialists Baur to Stuttgart. This was the M1 to the puzzle: The lattice tube frame established by Marchesi, Glass-fibre reinforced plastic body with TIR, both in Modena resident. Giorgio Giugiaros firm ItalDesign built two together and arranged for the Interior. The car then came to Stuttgart, where the whole building Einbaute mechanics.

Today, the group-5-Renner already at historic events like
The vintage Grand Prix.
BMW ran a result of these delays and the time Umplanungen which: For the Homologation as Group 4 competition car had indeed within the 400 specimens And the 24-month construction period. And the competitors are not asleep. Para M1 ever faster on the runway to get lifted the head of Motorsport GmbH Jochen Neerpasch together with Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley the Procar Series From the baptism. It was as a prelude race before most European Formula 1 -- Grands Prix out of the 1979/80 season.
The main difference with road version was the engine for the
Sports has been using the six-cylinder M88 initially classically tuned. New Camshafts, larger valves, forged pistons, optimized channels, Vane Instead throttle valves and a modified exhaust system caused the power to 470 Grow to 490 hp. So motorized ran on the 1020 kilogram abgemagerten Procar hit with the longest translation of around 310 km / h. For adequate Soil liability caused Goodyear racing tires of the dimension 16 x 10.0/23.5 front and 12.5/25.0 x 16 rear, supported by a huge rear wing. Such
Prepared umrundete Marc Surer, for example, with a Group 4 the BMW M1 North 'of the Nurburgring in 7.55,9 minutes.

The Group 4 after the Rules M1 was designed not only five Formula 1-pilots per race for the Procar-brand cup provided, he could
First einsatzfertiges racing car directly from the factory purchased. Price: 150,000 marks. And some of the most prestigious tuner took the offer true: Schnitzer And Heidegger own M1 sent to the runway, also from Italy and Osella
Ron Dennis of the United Kingdom. The Procar series had its unique charm: Here met the world's best on old hands and newcomers and had in
Largely the same car with them measured. The five fastest Formula 1 -- Driver of the training Friday met with 15 touring car specialists. The first Five places in the starting Saturday launched Procar race belonged to the stars who Starters further directed according to the training times in the M1. Rules changes impede motor sports success

On the M1, the artist himself on hand. Instead of painting after targets of Professional Lackierern Obliged to leave Warhol swung the brush itself In Group 4, the M1 still little more to train. Only on 1 April 1981
, The homologation of the mid-engine Renners. Even nine months later, But the appropriate regulations changed so that the concept of M1 little more Competitive. Also, the success of Group 5 were far in the shade
The Procar series. Initially ran in the Group 5 still M1 with aspirated, the Almost 500 hp came. To torque to 800 Newton metres to cope came
Special 400-FG Hewland five-speed gearbox is used, the blocking of Hinterachsdifferenzials increased depending on the racetrack at 75 to 100 percent. Later Were the engines of the group 5–1000 hp Bloated. To get the most of this huge force on the ground to get The M1 bodies verspoilert so that they contribute to the so-called "Winged monsters" were counted. The leading BMW tuner Schnitzer created a Group 5 M1 was the strongest racing cars for the German automobile racing Championship. The car wore a Kevlar outer skin on a reinforced chassis. Hans-Joachim Stuck drove the Super Coupe at the Nürburgring and the Salzburgring To the victory.
In 1981, for the M1 to a spectacular success year in the United States. Who in the American popular IMSA GTO Championship ride to the front, had
Then the BMW mid-engine coupe. Dave Cowart and Kenper Miller,
Together the "Red Lobster team" had founded, ended the season with Platz 1 And 2 – on a BMW M1. 12 of 16 races, the white M1 with the starting number 25 won. Only one driver among the top ten best this year was not
BMW on a mid-engine coupe in the ranks.

Andy Warhols Art Car startet in Le Mans.
The M1 was not only a particular race and sports cars, he was also a Unique work of art. 1979 was dedicated to the world-famous pop art artist Andy Warhol with paint and a brush rennfertigen coupe and created it as the M1 One of the fastest works of art in the world. It was the fourth so-called Art Car, A series of works of art, and with BMW vehicles. As the first artist painted Warhol with bold brush strokes on the body. "The car is
Better managed than the work of art, "he commented then dry the
Result. With the start number 76 ran the Art Car finally to 24 hours
The title in Le Mans, reaching 6 Square

981 ended the production of the M1 as 445 copies, 399 were road sports car Procar and 46 racing cars. A successor has not yet given all
M other vehicles were offshoot of the mass products.

For Official Images go to & Credit BMW Historical Archive, do an Advance Search for M1: http://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/gb02.nsf