The BMW M1 is a car that went down in history as one of the rarest cars BMW ever produced. Another homologation special like the CSL 3.0, the M1 was built to allow BMW an entry into sports car racing.  The race version of the car is so much more beautiful and aggressive than the road version in my view though, so I was thrilled to come across one that’s not sitting in a museum, rather being raced at Mosport!

A lot of this car looks like it’s been replaced and upgraded over the years – that doesn’t look like the type of sway-bar mount that would have been on the M1 originally However, the exhaust is fairly period correct I think! Adjustable sway bars were an addition only on the M1 Procar, another differentiation from the M1 street car.

The livery on this car is great, it really highlights the lines of the Giugiaro designed body in typical 1970′s fashion without being gaudy.

There’s something funny about a car like the M1 having street approved turn signals and light clusters, but that’s what comes with being a homologation special!

The front end of this wedge shaped beauty is all purpose. Rads in the front, noise in the rear – the way god intended.

This will give you an idea of the size of the rubber these cars were running. I love the dual rondels on either side of the rear deck – a trademark of the M1 that was carried over into the recent design study BMW did with an eye to reviving the M1.

This car is a regular runner in the Vintage Auto Racing series VARAC and competes in the (duh) 1970+ group. I don’t advocate smoking but race cars should always promote smoking if you ask me, it just fits. Goodyear tires were actually the tire of choice for these cars in the M1 specific series.  I wasn’t able to find specific info on the history of this particular car, but will continue to hunt and if I can update with more later.

That’s a wing that aims to please! The gurney flap isn’t really visible in this shot (check the rear view) but it’s huge! Hiding under that classic slatted rear deck lid is a modified version of the M88 3.5 liter inline 6 cylinder that would eventually find its way into the very first edition of the BMW M5 sedan. Only in this iteration it was putting out 465bhp up around 9000rpm.

The suspension on the M1 procars was completely revamped from the street-going M1, but the 5 speed ZF gearbox was used albeit with an allowance for varied gear ratios for racing.

It’s quite a substantial look car, but the M1 only weighs in at 2200lbs which puts it in Lotus territory! Combined with that screaming inline 6 the M1 would top out at just under 200mph and make the run to 60 in a very respectable 4.3 seconds.

Subtle German influence…

A peek inside the hood slats at the radiator.

That lightweight was the result of stripping the car of anything it didn’t need. As a result the office is, to say the least, minimal and efficient.

In case you’re wondering what the strange hubs are on the wheels, those are actually used only when the car is in transit. They are tie-downs that go on. The car has regular single bolts on while racing.

The interior is as fiberglass as the exterior, which obviously makes it quite light weight, but I’d always drive with the visor down as I imagine a decent smack-up could send great clouds fiber flying all around the cockpit.

Great to see one of these venerable old racers up close and personal, and hear it out on the track. Here’s a stellar video from back when the M1 Procar series was still running of one of these cars (sans wing) testing out on the Nürburgring. A track full of these angry straight-sixes must’ve been a sight and sound to behold.