The BMW M1 is one of the most legendary cars in the brand’s history. Not only was it BMW’s first true M Division product, it was also BMW’s first supercar (some would argue that it’s BMW’s only supercar). What makes the M1 truly special, though, is that it wasn’t just a supercar but it was actually a homologated race car for the road. Unfortunately, it never raced in the series it was designed for, as regulations changed, but it did end up being used in a few different, smaller racing series’.
That racing pedigree means the BMW M1 is most at home on track, where it can let its glorious, Paul Rosche-designed 3.5 liter naturally-aspirated engine sing and put its purpose-built racing chassis through its paces. In this new photo gallery, we get to see a motorcade of historic BMWs lapping the fantastic Mosport track in Canada.
The gorgeous white BMW M1 is was joined by a white E30 BMW M3, what looks like a black E30 M3 Sport Evo, and a white E36 BMW M3. But there’s no doubt which car is the star of the show — it’s the M1.
When enthusiasts first drove the M1 on the road, it was considered to be an everyday supercar, potentially the first of all time. It was comfortable, relatively quiet, stable at high-speed, and surprisingly easy to drive, despite its immense performance potential. Much of that stability and capability was due to its racing pedigree, as its chassis was designed for intense rigors of racing. That incredible capability translated well to the road, which made it the most usable supercar of its time. It’s a shame it was too expensive for most people to own, as it was more expensive than twelve-cylinder Ferraris of the time, so very few of them actually sold.
Due to that rarity, the only way most of us will ever see a BMW M1 is in photo galleries such as this one. So have a look at one of the best BMWs of all time, lapping a great track with some other historic Bimmers.
[Photos: @@lenssenphoto | www.lenssenphoto.com]
