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BMW M1

In the late 1970s, Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation, but conflicts arose that prompted BMW to produce the car themselves. The resulting car was sold to the public, from 1978 to 1981, as the BMW M1. It is the first mid-engine BMW automobile to be mass-produced; the second is the i8 hybrid sports car.

Vehicle Overview

The BMW M1 coupé was hand-built between 1978 and 1981 under the motorsport division of BMW as a homologation special for sports car racing. In 1972, BMW presented a prototype called the BMW Turbo (E25). This vehicle, equipped with gullwing doors and a four-cylinder mid-engine, was not intended for series production but served as a design study and technology carrier. Another example followed in 1973. The 250 km/h turbo was a response to cumbersome safety car prototypes with clunky add-on parts. The basic concept of the Turbo created a thick safety cushion for the driver: low center of gravity, wide contact patch and a special chassis. Added to this were driver assistance systems such as ABS, radar distance warning and a lateral accelerometer. In addition, there was a passive safety package with seat belts that close the circuit for the ignition lock, or the safety steering column with three universal joints. The door jambs continued into the roof to form an invisible roll cage and were complemented by safety crumple zones with hydraulic dampers in the front and rear. The color scheme was also focused on safety: a bright red with bright orange front and rear sections. The futuristic styling study by BMW chief designer Paul Bracq set the direction for the development of the BMW M1 that followed in 1976. This was carried out according to BMW’s specifications at Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy with the help of Gianpaolo Dallara. The vehicle was originally also to be manufactured there, but there were later problems at Lamborghini, so the vehicle was produced by Baur in Stuttgart. Giorgio Giugiaro at Italdesign was responsible for the body design, making the BMW M1 more businesslike than the prototype BMW Turbo and dispensing with the gullwing doors. The BMW M1 was presented in 1978 and was classified as a superlative car. Car tester Gerold Lingnau attested to the car’s “sophisticated technology and superior driving characteristics.” BMW founded BMW Motorsport GmbH specifically for development and production; the M in the model name thus stands for Motorsport. In 1979, the car cost 113,000 German marks, about 146,000 euros in today’s purchasing power, making it the most expensive German car.

bmw m1

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Technical Specifications

Body

Limited
Year

1978
Make

BMW
Model

M1
Coachbuilder

Italdesign
Length (mm)

4359
Width (mm)

1824
Height (mm)

1138
Units built

460
Engine Type

L6
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N/A
Transmission

N/A
Colour

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Type Approval

N/A
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mot

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Type Approval

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DESIGNER

Giorgetto Giugiaro

Events

2022 Villa d’Este

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