BMW Motorsport

In May 2002, BMW Motorsport celebrates its 30th Anniversary. We celebrate it here!

 

The First M Sedan

In 1979 the E12 M535i was introduced. The M535i was the first four door Motorsport car. It was powered by the M30 six cylinder engine with 218 hp. The M535i had 4-wheel disc brakes and it borrowed a drivetrain from the E24 635CSi. The M535i had such racing car features as a final drive oil cooler, 3.07 gear ratio with limited-slip differential, dog-leg gearbox and Recarro bucket seats.

The M535i was the first M Sedan and the forerunner of the M5

Both the E26 M1 and the E12 M535i went out of production in 1981.

Six Series M Coupe

In 1983, Motorsport introduced the E24 M6. It was only available as a 2 door coupe. The M6 had the M88/1 six cylinder engine from the M1 with 286 HP and a top speed of 255 km/h. This car was a luxury sports coupe, having luxury features found on the 635CSi such as leather power seats, electric sun roof, and climate control.

The M6 featured the M88 engine from the M1

The E24 M6 went out of production in 1989. Only 5,855 units were made from 1983 to 1989.

The First M5

In 1984 a new E28 M535i was introduced. Like the E12, the E28 model also had a six cylinder engine with 218 HP.

A year later, at the Amsterdam Automobilsalon, BMW produced the first M5 as an E28 model. The first M5 had a six cylinder engine with 286 HP and a top speed of 245 km/h.

Writing for Auto Motor and Sport in June 1985, Götz Mayer said "BMW Motorsport GmbH revealed its latest drug for the first time without any fuss at the Automobilsalon in Amsterdam, not exactly what you would call one of the premier car shows in the world ... There was no great launch event and hardly any announcement in the press."
 

The first M5

The E28 M5 went out of production in 1988. The M5 was only available in the USA in 1988. Out of a total of about 2,180 units built, only about 1,235 were imported to the USA.

The US models were painted black with tan leather interior. Like Henry Ford quipped, "you can have any color you want, as long as it's black".

The First M3

In 1986 the 3 Series E30 M3 was introduced. All E30 M3 models had high-performance four-cylinder engines which were based on the M10 Formula One powerplant. The M3 was available with or without a catalytic converter, although only catalytic models were imported into the USA. In 1988 a convertible version of the M3 was introduced, becoming the first M3 Cabrio.

E30 M3's are easily distinguished by the wide rear fenders, designed to accommodate oversized wheels, and the distinctive front spoiler and rear wing.

The first M3 had a 4 cylinder engine and superb handling

The M3 was the product of a factory effort to participate in German Touring Car racing. The primary opponent was the Mercedes 190 class. Both companies recognized the great interest in racing and the positive effects of racing on auto sales.

To improve the M3's performance on the track, Motorsport introduced new versions on an annual basis. M actually produced 13 different versions of the E30 M3. Some of the models were in very limited production, and most were European models that never made it to the United States.

[More M]