From time to time, carmakers expertise a lucid second and embark on a visit to step out of their consolation zone and create a automobile stretching the corporate’s identification. These distinctive moments in time generally tend to provide combined outcomes, however they’re additionally fondly remembered within the hearts of true aficionados. A kind of vehicles is BMW M1, a singular supercar breakthrough by a then-developing Bavarian firm.

Inbuilt very restricted numbers and with reasonable success, this dramatic wedge-shaped vehicle hides a perplexing origin story ending in a chapter about one of the coveted BMW collector cars right now.

The M1 was conceived by BMW’s motorsport division as a homologation mannequin for FIA Group 5 sports activities automotive racing. Initially meant for joint development with Lamborghini, the collaboration fell by way of, resulting in the Italian agency Marchesi constructing the Gianpaolo Dallara-designed spaceframe.

The fiberglass bodywork, styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was crafted by Trasformazione Italiana Resina, with Italdesign in Turin finishing the our bodies earlier than remaining hand meeting by Baur in Stuttgart. Each road-going and racing variants have been concurrently produced, totaling roughly 450 items.

Powering the M1 is a mid-mounted 3,453cc M88 inline-six that includes twin overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, dry-sump lubrication, Kugelfischer-Bosch gasoline injection, Magneti-Marelli ignition, and 6 particular person throttle our bodies. The factory-rated output stands at 277 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque.

Photograph Supply: Convey A Trailer