BMW M1
Encyclopedia
The BMW M1 is a sports car
that was produced by German
automaker BMW
from 1978 to 1981.
In the late 1970s, Italian
manufacturer Lamborghini
entered into an agreement with BMW
to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation
. The result was sold to the public, from 1978 to 1981, as the BMW M1. It was the only mid-engined
BMW to be mass produced. It employed a twin-cam M88/1
3.5 L 6-cylinder petrol engine
with Kugelfischer
mechanical fuel injection
. A version of this motor was later used in the South African version of the BMW 745i, of which 209 examples were built between 1984 and 1986, as well as the E24 BMW M6/M635CSi
and E28 BMW M5. The engine had six separate throttle
butterflies, four valves per cylinder and produced 277 PS in the street version, giving a top speed of 260 km/h (161.6 mph). Turbocharged racing versions were capable of producing around 850 hp.
The M1 coupe was hand-built between 1978 and 1981 under the Motorsport
division of BMW as a homologation
special for sports car
racing. The body was designed by Giugiaro, taking inspiration from the 1972 BMW Turbo
show car. Originally, BMW commissioned Lamborghini
to work out the details of the car's chassis, assemble prototypes and manufacture the vehicles, but Lamborghini's financial position meant that BMW reassumed control over the project in April 1978, after seven prototypes were built. Only 456 production M1s were built, making it one of BMW's rarest models. The spirit of the M1 lived on in the M635Csi and the first-generation M5, which shared the same (though slightly modified) engine.
The M1 had various successes in motorsports. In 2004, Sports Car International
named the car number ten on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s.
The M1 is not related to BMW's 1-series compact executive car which started production in MY
2004. Nor is the M1 related to the BMW 1 Series M Coupe which started production in MY 2010.
In 1979 the head BMW Motorsport, Jochen Neerpasch
, devised a one-make
championship using racing modified M1s. The series was created to aid BMW in building enough M1s to enter the Group 4
classification in the World Championship for Makes
. The new series, known as the Procar BMW M1 Championship
, served as a support series for Formula One
, and included many current Formula One drivers in identical cars.
The series ran for two years, with Niki Lauda
winning the 1979 season, and Nelson Piquet
the 1980 season. After BMW met the standards for Group 4, the Procars were used by various teams in the World Championship as well as other national series.
The BMW Homage concept was released at the event Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d'Este 2008. The design was created by Giorgio Giugiaro who got his idea from the BMW Turbo concept which was designed by Paul Bracq
. The BMW Turbo
boasted many technical and advance innovations from BMW. The front of the car differs the most than the other parts of the car. The front sports double head lights are not the pop up light that are on the original M1, but the usual trademark of the kidney grills made it onto the design of the car. The Homage also incorporated the double badge in the back of the car as the original M1. There are no photos of the interior of the car or the car in action. The specifications of the car have not been released to the public. BMW
has not confirmed if these will be released, although the upcoming i8 model, which is based on the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics
concept, draws influence from the M1 Homage.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
that was produced by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
from 1978 to 1981.
In the late 1970s, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
manufacturer Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
entered into an agreement with BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
. The result was sold to the public, from 1978 to 1981, as the BMW M1. It was the only mid-engined
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
BMW to be mass produced. It employed a twin-cam M88/1
BMW M88
The BMW M88/3 is an in line 6 cylinder piston engine. It was based on the M88/1 that was used in the BMW M1's street version, with double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder. The M88/1 was in turn based on the M49 engine which was used in the BMW 3.0CSi...
3.5 L 6-cylinder petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
with Kugelfischer
Kugelfischer
Kugelfischer is the name for a mechanical fuel injection pump. It was produced by FAG Kugelfischer and later by Robert Bosch GmbH...
mechanical fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
. A version of this motor was later used in the South African version of the BMW 745i, of which 209 examples were built between 1984 and 1986, as well as the E24 BMW M6/M635CSi
BMW M6
The BMW M6, also known as the BMW M635CSi, is a high-performance version of the 6-Series automobile, designed by the motorsport division of BMW...
and E28 BMW M5. The engine had six separate throttle
Throttle
A throttle is the mechanism by which the flow of a fluid is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases , but usually decreased. The term throttle has come to refer, informally and incorrectly, to any mechanism by which...
butterflies, four valves per cylinder and produced 277 PS in the street version, giving a top speed of 260 km/h (161.6 mph). Turbocharged racing versions were capable of producing around 850 hp.
BMW Motorsport
BMW Motorsport is the division of BMW responsible for motorsport-related activities, including works-run competition programmes in touring car racing, sportscar racing and Formula One.-See also:* BMW M* BMW in motorsport* BMW Sauber* Schnitzer Motorsport...
division of BMW as a homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
special for sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
racing. The body was designed by Giugiaro, taking inspiration from the 1972 BMW Turbo
BMW Turbo
The E25 Turbo prototype was built by BMW as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. It was designed by Paul Bracq, with gullwing doors and a futuristic cockpit. Only two were ever built...
show car. Originally, BMW commissioned Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
to work out the details of the car's chassis, assemble prototypes and manufacture the vehicles, but Lamborghini's financial position meant that BMW reassumed control over the project in April 1978, after seven prototypes were built. Only 456 production M1s were built, making it one of BMW's rarest models. The spirit of the M1 lived on in the M635Csi and the first-generation M5, which shared the same (though slightly modified) engine.
Sports Car International
Sports Car International was an automobile magazine in the United States published by Ross Periodicals Inc. that was focused on sports cars. The magazine was published from 1986 to 2008. Its business offices were located in Novato, California....
named the car number ten on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s.
The M1 is not related to BMW's 1-series compact executive car which started production in MY
Model year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
2004. Nor is the M1 related to the BMW 1 Series M Coupe which started production in MY 2010.
Procar
In 1979 the head BMW Motorsport, Jochen Neerpasch
Jochen Neerpasch
Jochen Neerpasch is a former German racecar driver and motorsports manager.His racing career began in the 1960s, first on Borgward touring car, then with the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans as a first major event...
, devised a one-make
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
championship using racing modified M1s. The series was created to aid BMW in building enough M1s to enter the Group 4
Group 4 (racing)
The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...
classification in the World Championship for Makes
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. The new series, known as the Procar BMW M1 Championship
Procar
The BMW M1 Procar Championship, sometimes known simply as Procar, was a one-make auto racing series created by Jochen Neerpasch, head of BMW Motorsport GmbH, the racing division of automobile manufacturer BMW...
, served as a support series for Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, and included many current Formula One drivers in identical cars.
The series ran for two years, with Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
winning the 1979 season, and Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
the 1980 season. After BMW met the standards for Group 4, the Procars were used by various teams in the World Championship as well as other national series.
2008 Homage Concept
In April 2008, BMW unveiled the M1 Homage Concept to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the M1. The concept vehicle uses a mid-engine layout and borrows styling cues from both the original M1 and the Turbo show car.The BMW Homage concept was released at the event Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d'Este 2008. The design was created by Giorgio Giugiaro who got his idea from the BMW Turbo concept which was designed by Paul Bracq
Paul Bracq
Paul Bracq is an automotive designer noted for his work at Citroën, Peugeot, and Mercedes-Benz.Bracq's career began in the design studio of Philippe Charbonneaux, where he served as Charbonneaux' assistant in 1953 and 1954...
. The BMW Turbo
BMW Turbo
The E25 Turbo prototype was built by BMW as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. It was designed by Paul Bracq, with gullwing doors and a futuristic cockpit. Only two were ever built...
boasted many technical and advance innovations from BMW. The front of the car differs the most than the other parts of the car. The front sports double head lights are not the pop up light that are on the original M1, but the usual trademark of the kidney grills made it onto the design of the car. The Homage also incorporated the double badge in the back of the car as the original M1. There are no photos of the interior of the car or the car in action. The specifications of the car have not been released to the public. BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
has not confirmed if these will be released, although the upcoming i8 model, which is based on the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics
BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics
The BMW i8, first introduced as the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics, is a plug-in hybrid under development by BMW. The initial concept car was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, and the BMW i8 concept car destined for production was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show...
concept, draws influence from the M1 Homage.