Images and Text by Barton Workman
Among the more unique automobiles appearing the the lineup of million dollar Ferrari Enzos, Lamborghini Murcilagos and McLaren Mercedes-Benz SLRs at the Palm Beach Supercar Weekend, was a BMW. Before you wonder, "What is so unique about a BMW?", this particular example was among less than 50 produced for the road which was based on the first BMW Supercar, the M-1.
The BMW factory in Munich, Germany produced 457 original M-1s total in response to the onslaught of the huge success Porsche was experiencing in international sportscar and endurance races at events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring with the 911 Turbo-based 934 and 935 models competing for the World Championship for Manufacturers in the late 70s and early 80s.
BMWs first foray into the exotic car market brought them into partnership with Giorgio Guigiaro's Ital Design company which was commissioned to design the
M-1 that was based on a 1972 concept car. Links to Lamborghini were made as the Italian exotic giant was hired to assemble the chassis and drive train.
However, Lamborghini was in a desperate financial crisis during the late 1970s and was forced to withdraw leaving BMW left with no partner to carry on with the project. BMW then brought the project back to where ties were forged with The sexy M-1 design is a wedge shaped, two seater layout featuring the successful straight six BMW M88 twin cam inline 6, 3453cc, 4 valves per cylinder and Kugelfischer fuel injected engine mounted just behind the seats which aides in a very low center of gravity and provides near perfect balance. The hugely successful M-1 design propelled BMW squarely into competition with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and chief rival Porsche in the exotic car market. BMW held production numbers to 457 total which ran from
1978 until 1982 qualifying the example for FIA homogalation to compete in international sports car races.
Racing examples began appearing in various configurations from GT to outright full bodied prototypes featuring huge wings and radical bodywork at FIA Group 5 series races in Europe and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) events in North America where a GTX example was famously driven by long time Porsche entrant, Jim Busby, who teamed with Olympic Decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner with varying degrees of success.
The FIA saw fit to make some major rule changes (homogalation rules which stated not only did BMW have to build at least 400 M-1 examples, they all had to be sold as well) which all but excluded the M-1 from international FIA Group 5 competition. BMW was left with a glut of M-1s when suddenly a stroke of marketing genius struck Rather than attempt to sell all of the outdated M-1s to collectors, BMW made another deal with the FIA where the equally prepared, race modified M-1 Procars would be driven by the Formula One stars of the moment during Grand Prix weekends. The BMW M-1 Procar Series concept kept the popular cars in front of the racing public and, more importantly, involved in international motorsports which caught on with the media and fans alike.
Modifications to the M-1 Procar included fibreglass bodywork treatment with snowplow nose, huge radiator ducts, side skirts, flared wheel wells, a huge rear wing and power output bolstered to between 470BHP and 500BHP which set the Procar examples apart from the original M-1s. This was enough to persuade the top
F-1 drivers of the time such as World Champions Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet to take part in the M-1 Procar Series. The hugely popular support races took place during the European rounds of Grand Prix weekends at tracks such as The BMW M-1 Procar which appeared at the Palm Beach Supercar Weekend (VIN: WBSS9910004301231) courtesy of Ed Waterman's Motorcar Gallery in Ft.
Lauderdale, features BMW Motorsport colors (red, dark blue and light blue) in a graphic scheme, reminiscent of the famous BMW "Art Cars", over pearlescent white. The Procar bodywork on the road going version (minus mandatory racing equipment) features a full leather interior with matching BMW Motorsport colors over the white leather seats,telltale Clarion AM-FM cassette stereo with booming Blaupunkt speakers and sunroof which most definitely did not appear on the racing versions.
The dash of the M-1 Procar looks very much like the original M-1 featuring burl walnut and leather accents. The dash cluster is very straight forward with prominent tachometer and speedometer with all temperature and voltage gauges and large warning lights where they should be. The only thing that could stand modernization might be the addition of carbon fibre or brushed aluminum dash accents in place of the burl walnut which looks oddly out of place in a standardized racing car, but we have to remember this car was built in 1979.
The rest of this M-1 example is very closely matched to the racing M-1 Procars and was built by the famous after market design house Styling Garage in WBSS9910004301231 was originally produced as a street car on December 4,
1979 and first sold in M-1 Procar's title in Sliding behind the wheel of the M-1 Procar gives the feeling of sitting behind the wheel of a racing car, very much the business, as the Ricaro seat holds the driver snugly with no room for movement in the cockpit, tight but not cramped (okay, maybe a little cramped!). The key fits into the steering column, the clutch is smoothly engaged and the manual shifter is easy to operate with short, efficient throws. The engine comes to life easily, nothing special is needed to start other than turing the key as the engine note rises, indicating this is a serious piece of work (just as it should be).
Straight away, what is noticed is how stiff the non-power assisted steering rack is as it works the huge Pirelli P7 285/40/VR15 front tires mounted on BBS "Snowflake" racing wheels. Some major steering input is needed to turn the car at low speeds. Some outside assistance may even be necessary to get through tight spots as the wide tires (prescribed by Pirelli for the Lamborghini Diablo) belie the width of the bodywork and rearward vision is compromised by the huge engine cowling deck and rear wing.
On the road, the M-1 Procar gets up to speed nicely.
The five speed manual transaxle gearbox slips easily through sequence going up and down the box,very positively throughout the rev range. Give it some gas and the snarling straight six engine comes to life with a very smooth power band propelling the car forward, violent on demand with lots of low end torque, but we need to keep cool. The huge, grippy Pirelli P7 tires hold the car firmly on the road with the assistance of the modified body work and prominent rear wing.
Once on the highway, the M-1 Procar is finally at home in near Autobahn conditions. The ride is typically BMW stiff, easy over the bumps, but not nearly as agricultural as Lamborghinis of the time where every bump is felt straight through the seats. The large Vitolini Tornado side mounted mirrors allow enough rearward vision to be confident in lane changes as the Procar heads for top speeds on I-95 due north to Palm Beach.
At speed, the M-1 Procar hugs the road as the aerodynamic effects press the huge tires onto the pavement. The Procar is a very friendly car to drive as the only thing that really takes getting used to is the ride height, which is on par with the sportiest Ferrari, and the driver must know that not everyone is looking for such a lowslung car approaching from behind.
Drawbacks to driving the M-1 Procar are very few.
First, the ride height is low and the fibreglass snowplow nose is vulnerable to any undulations in the road and road debris. The nose scraped the surface exiting the Manalapan location and then hit some debris on the highway which caused a quarter-sized chunk of damage to the paint over the fibreglass.
Also, the rear deck lid is a two person operation to lift. The lever, located in the driver's side door sill, activates two latches which allow the bonnet to be lifted; but be aware the wing is heavy and catch the unaware off guard with it's weight. However, there was always someone nearby to help lift the bonnet which houses the engine and enough space to stowe away equipment.
The funniest aspect of the Procar is the curious looks it receives, especially from modern BMW sedan drivers who can't quite figure out what the car was as they pulled up alongside for closer inspection. Or, the others who know it is an M-1 and cant quite believe their eyes as these are extremely rare sights in the U.S. (actually, this M-1 Procar was the first road going example I'd ever seen myself upon it's arrival in Ft. Lauderdale) that even the most adamant BMW fans have never seen one in person and then there is the inevitable thumbs up!
At the Palm Beach Supercar Weekend, the M-1 Procar was very much at home among the more expensive examples on display. The car received wide interest from those in attendance and admiration from those whom knew what the car and it's very interesting history. It was definitely a fun car to display with it's wild graphics and huge wing which qualified it was the first genuine Supercar ever produced by BMW.
To learn more about the BMW M-1 Procar, visit the Motorcar Gallery website and download the information sheet in PDF at www.motorcargallery.com
BMW M-1 Procar presented by Motorcar Gallery
VIN: WBSS9910004301231
Year Built: 1979
Modifications: Styling Garage of
Odometer: 32,225 Miles
Color: BMW Motorsport Graphics over Pearlescent White.
Engine: BMW M88 Twin
Custom Fibreglass, Deep Front Spoiler, Aerodynamic Body Sills, Full Racing Wing with Wide Fender Flares and Skirts.
Tires: Pirelli P7
Front: 285/40/VR15
Rear: 345/35/VR15
Top Speed: 161MPH
Features: Air Conditioning, BMW Motorsport Graphics on White Leather Interior, Sunroof, BBS Wheels, Clarion Stereo System with Blaupunkt Speakers.
Notes: Originally sold 12/4/79
Print Article
Send to a friend
Save as PDF