40 Years of BMW M Cars

On May 1, 1972, BMWBMWGermany, 1918 > present87 models
8471 photos
43 videos
opened its Motorsport GmbH that would later be shortened to just M. With the opening of the BMW Motorsport GmbH, BMW created a new era for itself. Partially, it was created to compete with the tuning companies who were preparing the BMW 1800 TiBMW 1800 TIGermany, 1964 > present, 2000 TiBMW 2000 ti CoupéGermany, 1968 > present and 2002 TiiBMW 2002 TiiGermany, 1968 > present5 photos
for racing. The company was started by just 35 employees

“A company is like a human being. As long as it goes in for sports, it is fit, well-trained, full of enthusiasm and performance,” said Robert A. Lutz, BMW Board Member, in 1972 during the opening of the BMW Motorsport GmbH. 

M's first head, Jochen Neerpasch, immediately hired a number of young, talented drivers including Hans-Joachim Stuck and Dieter Quester. The organization including a 8,000m² racing engine production shop, toolmaker and engine dynamometer was set up in the direct vicinity of the BMW headquarters. The first vehicle to leave the shop was a 240hp, 940kg 2002 prepped for rallying.

The first and second generation M5s with the M1

© photo courtesy of: BMW

The first car that it designed fully was the 3.0 CSLBMW 3.0 CSLGermany, 1971 > 19751 photo
where BMW added aluminum doors, hood and five-speed magnesium gearbox. The racing 3.0 CSL weighed 2,408lbs and was powered by a 3.34l straight six with 360hp. It was the last two valve per cylinder engine BMW built for racing. 

For 1973, BMW's young drivers began racing the 3.0 CSL. The cars were painted in M GmbH's now iconic white with blue, violet and red stripe. Hans-Joachim Stuck and Chris Amon won the very first touring car race of the season at the Nürburgring, and the team won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well. The 3.0 CSL went on to win the European Championship from 1973 to 1979. By 1976, the car was tuned with a four-valve, bi-turbo engine with 750hp and anti-lock brakes. 

At the same time that BMW was successful in touring car racing, it was developing winning Formula 2 engines. It supplied 2.0l, four valve engines with about 300hp to the March team and won the Formula 2 championship in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979 and 1982.

M began tuning its own mass-produced road car in the late 70s. It tuned versions of the 530BMW 530Germany, 1977 > present1 photo
, 533i and 535iBMW M535iGermany, 1980 > present1 photo
with more power, better brakes and a better handling suspension. From 1974 to 1980, M sold 895 of these specially tuned 5-Series. 

It was in 1978 that M broke through into the general consciousness with its first regular production car: the M1BMW M1Germany, 1978 > 19781 Version
23 photos
1 video
. Originally, Lamborghini was going to work on the chassis and suspension setup, while M would supply the engine. Lamborghini suffered from financial problems as the time and things fell through. Instead, designer Giorgio Giugiaro's Italdesign put the bodies together and shipped them to Stuttgart for Bauer to install the mechanical pieces. 

The car used a 277hp, inline-6 and cost 100,000DM. It had a top speed of 265km/h. BMW had 430 orders the first year and was only able to complete 130 cars. The engine in the M1 was eventually reused in the M5BMW M5Germany, 1985 > 19882 photos
and the M635CSIBMW M635 CSiGermany, 1984 > 19891 photo
.

Neerpasch teamed with Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley to create the M1 Procar racing series. The racing version developed 470hp with a 300km/h top speed.

Neerpasch left M in 1980 and was succeeded by Dieter Stappert. Also in 1980, BMW began developing its Formula 1 engine developing a 1.5l, turbocharged four-cylinder with 800hp. It began racing in 1982 with the BrabhamBrabham BT54 BMWUnited Kingdom, 1985 > present1 photo
1 video
team and won its first race at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1983. BMW continued to develop the engine through 1987. 

“It must have been about 1,400 hp, but we don’t know the exact figure since the engine dynamometer didn’t go beyond 1280 hp,” said the engine's develop Paul Rosche. 

For 1986, M developed the BMW 3-Series into the most successful touring car ever - the M3BMW M3Germany, 1985 > 19922 photos
. The car was developed specifically for Group A racing, and it won the World Touring Car Championship in 1987. It also won the DTM Championship twice. 

The M5 got a new version in 1988, and the second generation M3BMW M3Germany, 1992 > 19992 photos
1 video
came in 1992. The E36 M3 won the ADAC GT Championship in 1993 and IMSA championship in 1996.

McLarenMcLaren F1United Kingdom, 1992 > 19986 versions
21 photos
used a M-built 6.0l V12 for the F1 that developed 618hp. In 1999, the car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Throughout the 90s, M developed versions of the Z3BMW Z3 MGermany, 1997 > 20003 photos
, a V8 M5BMW M5Germany, 1998 > 20032 photos
2 videos
and a new M3BMW M3Germany, 2000 > present4 photos
came in 2000. The V8-powered M3 GTRBMW M3 GTRGermany, 2001 > present1 photo
1 video
won the GT class in the American Le Mans Series in 2002, and it won the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring in 2004 and 2005. M also brought back the CSL name on the M3BMW M3 CSLGermany, 2004 > 20044 photos
for a lighter car with carbon fiber reinforced plastic pieces, thinner window glass and a 360hp engine. It was limited to 1,383 cars. 

After 40 years, M now produces a number of turbocharged engines for its cars. It has also created its first diesel-powered engines ever in theM550dBMW M550d xDrive SedanGermany, 2012 > present2 photos
, X5 M50dBMW X5 M50dGermany, 2012 > present5 photos
and X6 M50d.