Given its importance to BMW’s legacy, we never miss an opportunity to talk about the M1. The company’s own E26 is the star of a new video that briefly tells the story of how the mid-engine super sports car came to be. Its history was turbulent from the start, as Lamborghini’s financial difficulties delayed its launch beyond its original 1977 target.
The M1 was originally intended to race in Group 4, but longer development times and regulatory changes forced BMW to rethink its plans. Lamborghini dropped out of the project in 1978 after failing to honor its contract to build 400 cars for BMW Motorsport. The German coachbuilder Baur finally took over the final assembly of the wedge designed by Giugiaro in Stuttgart. Italian company Marchesi supplied the tubular frame, TIR produced the fiberglass body and Italdesign was responsible for joining the two.
Only 460 cars were ever made for street and track use. The M1 eventually found its place in the dedicated Procar series, which supported Formula One racing in Europe during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. However, the program was short-lived and met with mixed reviews, due in part to early engine problems.
Unfortunately, nothing comparable to the M1 followed. The 2008 Homage remained a concept, while the 2013 i8 wasn’t a true supercar despite its mid-engine layout. The Vision M Next 2019 was close to production but was ultimately discontinued. In conversation with BMWBLOG Earlier this year, M boss Frank van Meel admitted that a supercar was not a priority at the moment.
Still, there is room for optimism. BMW is “always considering the development” of a standalone M model as the crowning achievement of the product range. The mayor of M Town hasn’t completely ruled out a supercar, saying, “Maybe one day we’ll find the right opportunity to work on such a car.”
Ideally, an M1-inspired flagship would follow its predecessor’s formula with a pure combustion engine. But time is of the essence as the M division accelerates electrification to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards. Hopefully there’s still time for one last combustion engine frontrunner before plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles take over.
