|
|
BMW Motorsport
 |
In May 2002, BMW Motorsport celebrates its 30th Anniversary. We
celebrate it here! |
|
|
Did you
know?
For
many years, Purple was the official color of M. |
|
Officially known
today as
BMW M GmbH, BMW M (for Motorsport) is having a birthday.
30 years ago, in May
of 1972, the company we know simply as "M", was created as a separate company within BMW.
So in recognition of M's 30th
anniversary, here
is BMW World's Story of M:
Click on a
link or an image for more |
|
 |
|
BMW
Headquarters |
|
1972, 30 years ago
The year was 1972.
Not only did BMW start M, but the company also opened an assembly plant in
South Africa, and completed its new headquarters building in Munich. The
first 5 Series was launched and the
Turbo was
displayed for the Summer Olympic Games held in Munich.
|
|
|
Motor Works Launches Motor Sport
In the late 60's and early 70's,
the New Class and
New Six cars proved very successful at
racing. In the spring of 1972, Jochen Neerpasch and Martin Braungart, two
ex-Ford racing executives, joined BMW. Neerpasch was formerly a factory
Porsche driver, while Braungart was a rally team driver for Mercedes. They
turned the sports department into a limited company within BMW, creating
M, the Motorsport Division.
|
 |
Jochen Neerpasch is one of the
legends of modern motor sports.
Neerpasch quit after he failed to
convince the BMW board to enter
Formula One racing. He then joined Mercedes and set up the
Mercedes Junior Team. As a result, he helped put drivers Michael
Schumacher, Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Harald Frentzen into Grand
Prix racing. Michael Schumacher is the world champion, and his
younger brother Ralf races for BMW-Williams F1. |
|
 |
|
E46 M3 CSL Lightweight |
|
|
|
M's First Project
BMW Motorsport's first project was the 3.0 CSL.
CSL is an acronym for Coupe Sport
Leicht, or Lightweight. 1265 lightweights were built from 1972 to
1975. This famous racer won seven European Touring Car titles.
The 6-cylinder
Batmobile was a champion in the 1970's
The CSL's weight reduction program
included:
- Lightweight aluminum panels for the doors,
hood, and trunk
- No front bumper
- A fiberglass rear bumper
- Thin, lightweight glass
- The absence of sound-deadening materials
throughout.
To prove the concept, Hans Stuck drove 7 seconds
faster than his best laps on the old Nurburgring circuit with the
lightweight coupe.
Due to their futuristic appearance, the cars were
baptized Batmobiles.
|
|
|
M-badged Cars
The first M-badged cars were
special road cars made for the works drivers to use as personal transport.
For example, Hans Stuck Jr. had a prototype BMW V12 Coupe, while Ronnie
Peterson had a 3.5 liter 5 Series sedan, the forerunner of the
M5.
The first m-badged car to be sold was Motorsport
One, or M1.
The M1 was the first M-badged car to be sold to the public
The M1 was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1978. The M1
was a 277 hp, 165 mph mid-engined coupe based on the stunning design of
Giorgetto Giugiaro's revision to
Paul Bracq's gullwing Turbo,
and
using the 6-cylinder engine from the
BMW CSL Coupe.
In Group 4 race trim, the M1 had 470 hp and 850 hp for Group 5 German Sports Car
racing.
|
|
|
