Italian company Italina Resina, with headquarters in Modena, produced the M1’s fiber glass body. Marchesi, another Modenese company, produced the chassis. Italdesign finished the interior and body of the car at their Turin-based manufacturing facility.
German specialty producer Baur used hand labor for final assembly. BMW from Munich provided the hand-built M88/1 engines that were fitted in the vehicles. The finished vehicles were transported to BMW Motorsport in Munich for delivery and final inspection. One of BMW’s rarest models, only 453 production cars were made. 53 of the 453 were built specifically for motorsport, while 399 were road-going vehicles.
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BMW 1M
In 2011, BMW determined that their “M Division” should focus on the modest 1 Series (Coupe). Who doesn’t enjoy a base model that has been given the complete, top-tier performance treatment, especially when BMW M is involved?
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe, however, was only offered for a brief period of time, with many vehicles being registered in 2011 and a select number in 2012. Only 450 of the 6,331 vehicles delivered to Europe and America were right-hand drive models, with the rest going to North America. Despite being introduced at the time, the price of this uncommon M vehicle has mostly remained the same (PS40,000), with many cars fetching up to PS50,000, and really low mileage specimens fetching up to PS80,000.
But what distinguishes the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, or 1M as fans prefer to call it, from other vehicles? The 1M may have had a smaller production run, but is there more to it than meets the eye?
The BMW M1, the first BMW “M” vehicle that Lamborghini almost produced
BMW developed the M1 in an effort to defeat Porsche’s fellow German competitors in Group 5 racing. With the understanding that the Porsche 935 would be hard to defeat with any of the vehicles BMW had in production at the time, they sought Lamborghini to work with them on a mid-engined supercar that could destroy the 935 and return the roundel to the front of the grid.
The car was originally supposed to be built by Lamborghini, but at the time the Italian automaker’s finances were a little precarious. Early M1 prototypes were constructed at Lamborghini using a Gianpaolo Dallara-developed tubular steel space frame chassis and a Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed body.
A group of former Lamborghini engineers founded a business named Italengineering and volunteered to continue working on the vehicle once the partnership with Lamborghini broke down. BMW agreed, and the M1’s development cycle continued in Italy, approximately ten kilometers from Lamborghini’s headquarters.
The M1 would be the company’s first mid-engined production vehicle, and it would hold that distinction for decades until the 2014 debut of the BMW i8. Giugiaro based the M1 on Paul Bracq’s earlier 1972 BMW Turbo concept car, adding his own distinctive flair to create a vehicle that was indisputably a product of its time.
The M1 project’s primary goal has been motorsport from the beginning, so the car’s every feature has been developed with the racetrack in mind. A BMW M88 3.5-liter inline-six cylinder engine was longitudinally positioned behind the driver and passenger on the strong tubular steel space frame chassis.
The M88 engine, designed by BMW legend Paul Rosche, has four valves per cylinder that are controlled by double overhead cams. Six separate throttle bodies are used to supply enough air into the alloy head’s iron block to support its 3453cc sweeping capacity.
This engine was created in a few different iterations, including the M88/1, M88/2, and M88/3. The road-legal version that was installed in the standard M1 could produce 273 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 243 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm, but the Procar version was capable of producing over 450 hp when it was in race trim.
Above Image: The interior offered cozy quarters for two people and included contemporary conveniences like electric windows, air conditioning, and a stereo.
The M1’s suspension consists of double wishbones with adjustable coil springs and Bilstein shock absorbers up front and down back. Rack and pinion steering was employed, and vented disc brakes measuring 300mm up front and 297mm in the rear were installed on the vehicle.
Unsurprisingly, a 5-speed manual transmission was used, and despite the fairly cramped inside, two people could fit inside without difficulty thanks to amenities like motorized windows, a stereo, and air conditioning.
Just 455 BMW M1s were made during the model’s production lifespan from 1978 to 1981, 56 of which were race cars not meant for public roads. The M1 is now recognized as the German automaker’s first foray into mid-engined vehicles, and the sound of the M88 six singing over your right shoulder is enough to win anyone over as a lifelong devotee.
How many BMW M1 models were produced and sold on the market?
A total of 430 M1s were produced before production was stopped in December 1980, of which 35 to 40 were race vehicles. BMW had little incentive to continue producing the M1 in light of what it perceived as a dwindling market for exotics because it was family sedans, not exotics like the 507 sports car, that had kept the company from going bankrupt in the early 1960s.
Amount of BMW M1 Procars produced
The M1 was an ambitious undertaking from the beginning because it was the first car that BMW Motorsport GmbH had ever created. The race car was initially intended for use in the German Racing Championship. The BMW M1 eventually made an appearance in the especially constructed Procar series and other competitions as a result of its protracted and difficult development process as well as a change in regulations. On the basis of homologation requirements in accordance with Group 4 regulations for the road and the racetrack, 460 BMW M1s were created. Each model was built by hand.
Why was the BMW M1 withdrawn from sale?
Unfortunately, Lamborghini was having serious financial issues at the time, thus the M1’s launch was delayed until the Italian company filed for bankruptcy and BMW was compelled to terminate the deal.
A BMW M1 will there be one?
A long-awaited replacement for the 41-year-old M1 supercar is being developed by BMW’s M performance car division.
The cutting-edge carbonfibre-bodied coupe, which was previewed by the Vision M Next, is scheduled to go on sale at the start of the next decade. When asked about the likelihood of its manufacturing, BMW’s chief of development Klaus Frohlich responded, “We deliver on what we promise.” A new 591bhp plug-in petrol-electric drivetrain will be debuted with the Vision M Next and is expected to power more traditional, future M models.
The new high-performance driveline is a component of a drivetrain electrification program being oversaw by Markus Flasch, the new CEO of BMW M. It produces significantly more power than the BMW i8’s driveline. The company’s “Strategy One Next” project, which intends to bring up to 25 electrified BMW models on sale by 2025, will be led by the Vision M Next.
How many US-built BMW 1Ms were produced?
During a recent interview, BMW M brand manager Matt Russell revealed that the sport division developed 740 vehicles just for American consumers. In essence, 739 “baby-Ms” were sold to customers, while one Valencia Orange served as the pace car for the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Russell told BMWBLOG, “The 1M was exceptional because it was produced swiftly, in record time, and that we built it for enthusiasts while pledging to keep the number of units low.
Valencia Orange was the most popular color, followed by Alpine White and Black Sapphire. The starting price for the BMW 1 Series M Coupe was $47,000.
What is the horsepower of a BMW M1?
The BMW M1 has a naturally aspirated six-cylinder inline longitudinal rear engine with a manual five-speed transmission that can deliver a maximum output of 277 PS at 6500 rpm and a maximum torque of 330 Nm at 5000 rpm.
A BMW M1 travels how fast?
Engine, functionality, and 0-60 time It produces a 4.8-second 0-60 time in the 1495kg 1M Coupe and a peak speed of 155 mph that is electronically limited, however we have observed an indicated 170 mph on a derestricted German autobahn.
What is the price of a BMW M1 Procar?
The price of the common road vehicles is already very high, so it makes sense that the extremely rare and exquisite Procars are practically priceless.
Given their significant historical significance and creation by some of the most prominent individuals (and institutions) in the automobile industry, it wouldn’t be a leap to refer to these vehicles as automotive works of art. Prior to being up for auction, it was estimated to be worth between $600 and $800,000. The ultimate sale price was $913,000.
How uncommon are BMW 1Ms?
The 1M was originally meant to be a limited edition vehicle, but initial projections of just a few thousand units would soon be changed in light of the vehicle’s popularity, and ultimately more than 6,000 units would be produced.
The BMW 1M is incredibly uncommon because of its tiny production run. A plaque was affixed on the center console of each of the 450 cars constructed for the UK market. Less than 1,000 cars were sold in the USA.
The 1M actually began as a “after hours” project, with passionate M department staff members putting together a new development plan within a few weeks after first being told that it couldn’t go ahead.
When senior management were presented with the plan, it was impossible for them to say no because parts were used and modified from other BMW models at the time. The team had all the necessary information, therefore any complaints were irrelevant.
The 1M had a sticker price of $47,000 in the USA and cost PS40,000 in the UK when it was brand-new. Production lasted from 2011 to 2012, therefore until the M2’s introduction in 2015, the tiny M car market was without a flagship.
Does the BMW M1 have a turbocharger?
The big rear spoiler, obviously flared mudguards, and altered front apron of the Procar version of the M1 set it apart from the road variant from an exterior perspective. The engine had considerably more power—470 hp—than the factory version it was built on. Up to 310 km/h might be reached by the M1 Procar. The in-line six-cylinder petrol engine was later turbocharged, providing breathtaking outputs of between 850 and nearly 1,000 hp when the BMW M1 was produced and subsequently improved in conformity with Group 5 rules.
What makes the BMW 1M unique?
Despite the BMW 1M being referred to as a “part bins special” by some and being based on an entry-level BMW, among other aspects that could be seen negatively, it has had no impact whatsoever on this little M automobile.
The 1M has won the hearts of drivers worldwide thanks to its enduring virtues. The 50/50 weight distribution, traditional BMW rear-wheel drive, and small wheelbase all made sure that the right components were present. Of course, the transmission came next. A 6-speed manual transmission for purists. The 1M got the fundamentals down pat to a T. It provided such an authentic, analog experience, similar to that of its illustrious sibling, the E30 M3.
Of course, the fact that there are only 450 UK examples makes it more special than an M3 or comparable vehicles, but petrolheads adore little cars with huge power, and one that can handle as well as the BMW 1M Coupe is practically the pinnacle of driving.
The BMW 1 Series is it unusual?
The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is a somewhat uncommon vehicle because it was only produced for the 2011 model year. Demand caused the Munich manufacturer to increase production from the initial 2,700 examples to 6,309 at the Leipzig facility until June 2012.