The BMW M1 (model code E26) is a mid-engined sports car produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1978 until 1981. 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. [2][3] The resulting car was.
Complete timeline of BMW M1 models and generations, with photos, specs reference and production years. BMW M1 Essential History Think of the builders of your favorite supercars and BMW may not fall on your personal short list, but in the late 1970s, the German automaker developed one of the more. 1978 BMW M1 - THE MID-ENGINE ICON.
Whether as an Art Car, a racing car in the Formula 1 support programme or the fastest German production car of its time: the BMW M1 caused a sensation in 1978. It was also the first model developed entirely in. The BMW M1's legacy is inseparably connected to its motorsport heritage.
The Procar BMW M1 Championship, a one-make series that supported Formula 1 races, saw the M1 being pushed to its limits by some of the world's best drivers. The BMW M1 was the first supercar created by BMW. The body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, taking inspiration from the 1972 BMW Turbo show car.
Originally, BMW commissioned Lamborghini to work out the details of the car's chassis, assemble prototypes and manufacture the vehicles, but Lamborghini's financial position meant that BMW reassumed control over the project in April 1978, after. The M1, also known as the 'Mid-Engined BMW M1 Project E26, was started in 1976 and completed four years later. The development of the M1 supercar was very costly; its design and development included some of the greatest individuals the industry had to offer.
Today, thirty years after the M1 was first shown to the public, it is considered one of the most legendary BMWs ever built, but its conception, construction and racing career were far from trouble free. The M1 was very much the brainchild of BMW Motorsport's found Jochen Neerpasch. The M1 coupé was hand-built between 1978 and 1981 under the motorsport division of BMW, as a homologation special for sports car racing.
The fibreglass body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, taking inspiration from the 1972 BMW Turbo concept car. Since the engineering of the car was still incomplete, a group of former Lamborghini engineers had founded a company named Italengineering, which.