December 2024 Featured Car

Published on 1 December 2024 at 06:12

BMW M1

The shape of the BMW M1 goes back to the 1972 study of the BMW Turbo designed by Paul Bracq and was created by renowned vehicle designer Giorgio Giugiaro. With this 1978 BMW M1, the Italian produced a timeless design, and its dynamic body type helped cement its place in automotive history.

The BMW M1’s empty weight was only 1,300 kg (2866lbs), which combined with the ideal weight distribution through the mid-engine concept led to outstanding handling characteristics. The engine of this top athlete – named M88 internally – achieved continued success for a long time: at the beginning of the 1980s, it served as the basis for the engines of the BMW M635i and the very first BMW M5.

In 1981, the death knoll tolled for BMW’s most ambitious project to date. After 30 months of production, in which fewer than 450 road-going versions were built, the M1 was dead. For decades, there would be nothing else like it. No other mid-engine BMW would appear until the wizardry of the electrified i8.

The dogleg ZF five-speed manual gearbox combined with the six-cylinder for a pleasingly low-effort drive at low speeds, with decent forward visibility, and a comfortable ride. Add in power windows, air-conditioning, and the M1’s businesslike cockpit was relatively luxurious by period supercar standards.

Double wishbones at each corner and Bilstein dampers did a good job of handling road imperfections, with the 16-inch Campagnalo wheels fitted with tall sidewalls: 205/55 Pirellis up front and 225/50 in the rear. (Remember when supercars did not come with rubber-band tires that rattle your fillings out?)

The M88 3.5-liter inline-six featured individual throttle bodies, twin cams, and four valves per cylinder. With Kugelfischer-Bosch fuel injection and Magneti-Marelli ignition, the road car made 273 hp and 239 lb-ft of twist. 0–60 mph came in 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 161 mph. 

Procar was intended for Group 5 competition, as a stop-gap series for the M1. While short-lived, it gave the car a much-needed limelight. The M88 was re-tuned to approximately 470 hp, and, with its dry-sump oiling system, was more than up to handling the g-loads produced by sticky rubber under widened wheel arches. Approximately 54 M1s were built to competition standard.

Four-piston 11.8-in front disc brakes (11.7 in the rear) were more than up to the task of getting the M1 stopped in a hurry, and the net result was a chassis that could handle far more power than it was provided with in road-going trim. Far from a dull experience to drive, the M1 encouraged backroads shenanigans.

https://www.bmw-m.com/en/topics/magazine-article-pool/bmw-m1-from-procar-to-icon.html

https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/history-of-the-bmw-m1/

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bmw+m1