While most would be more familiar with the exhilarating 1M moniker, it was the BMW M1 that started it all – sparking a series of legendary “M-division” creations that we’ve all revered and adored all these years.
For the enthusiasts, the M1 is something of a holy-grail of BMW’s. As it was originally designed to go racing, homologation models were required and due to complications with it’s creation, the series it was built for never took flight before the car was completed.
As a result, the German automaker was left with these cars with no championships to race with; enter the BMW M1 Procar series – a championship specifically for BMW M1’s. Even that was shortlived; lasting only two seasons before being dissolved.
In that time 40 units of this BMW M1 Procar was developed and this exquisite piece of machinery here bears the chassis number 31 – an example which has been converted into a street-legal road car – a street legal BMW M1 Procar, imagine that. Having spent years exchanging hands since 1979, its most recent owner in California actually rebuilt it back to Procar spec upon realisation of its history.
It’s got Procar written all over it – body kits, wheels, interior, and even down to its wheel hubs but it was still restraint from a full Procar conversion as parts have long been extinct. Its 3.5-litre engine has been rebuilt to house an electronic fuel injection system, producing 470 hp and 484 Nm of torque with power being delivered through a 5-speed ZF gearbox.
Brakes were supplied by Brembo and tucked beneath its BBS wheels. The Procar had impressive power-to-weight ratio as the car only weighed approximately 1,020 kg and performance figures spoke for its own – 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds with a disturbing top speed 311 km/h.
Road-issued M1’s never really came with this distinct colour, called Basalt Blue, save for four units which were made for BMW board members. BMW made just over 450 units of the street legal M1 from 1978 to 1981.
Source: BMW Blog / Image Credit: Top Gear UK & BMW Car Club of America
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