FLOPPED ON THE RACE TRACK The M1 flopped on the race track because it never played the role it was intended to. The enormous logistical task of assembling the M1s around Italy and finally shipping them to BMW Motorsport GmbH for fine-tuning became so expensive that BMW stopped production after 392 street cars, 48 race cars and five prototypes. Although it was the highest fashion, ABBA bought e.g. two pieces, and a German car magazine measured it as Germany's fastest car with a top speed of 264.7 km/h on top, so customers would rather have the faster supercars from Italy. Consequently, BMW Motorsport GmbH's budget was cut by 75 percent of management, and Jochen Neerpasch, still dreaming of Formula 1, moved on to Talbot in 1979 to start up their F1 team. 
The BMW M1 has never been given the credit it deserves for today's price drop. It was introduced for 100,000 D-Mark without tax – equivalent to four new BMW 323i. Today, the finest examples are sold abroad for over DKK 5 million. But the BMW M1 is much more than an investment. It's the holy grail for BMW fans. It is the first street car from BMW's M division, and it tells a unique story about a boss with such a passion for motorsport that he goes abroad without hesitation to get the best racer who flops badly on the racetrack but throws a fantastic street car in its own right. BMW M1 1980 Engine R6, 3,453 cm3, 24V Output 277 hp at 6,500 rpm 330 Nm at 5,000 rpm Top speed 262 km/h 0-100 km/h 5.6 sec. Click 'NEXT PAGE' to read on
