Sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer BMW from 1978 to 1981
Not to be confused with BMW 1 Series M Coupe.
Motor vehicle
BMW M1
Overview
Manufacturer
Karosserie Baur, BMW M GmbH
Production
1978–1981 453 produced
Assembly
Turin, Italy (initial assembly)
Munich, Germany (final assembly and inspection)
Designer
Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign
Body and chassis
Class
Sports car (S)
Body style
2-door coupé
Layout
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine
3.5 L M88 I6[1]
Transmission
5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase
2,600 mm (102.4 in)[1]
Length
4,361 mm (171.7 in)[1]
Width
1,824 mm (71.8 in)[1]
Height
1,140 mm (44.9 in)[1]
Curb weight
1,300 kg (2,866 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor
BMW Turbo
Successor
BMW Nazca C2 (spiritual)
The BMW M1 (model code E26) is a mid-engined sports car produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 1978 until 1981.
In the late 1970s, Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation, but conflicts arose that prompted BMW to produce the car themselves.[2][3] The resulting car was sold to the public, from 1978 until 1981, as the BMW M1.
It is the first mid-engine BMW automobile to be mass-produced; the second is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.
^ abcdeNorbye, Jan P. (1984). "BMW Goes Racing: Motorsport, Engines, Adventures". BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines. Skokie, IL USA: Publications International. pp. 186–189. ISBN 0-517-42464-9.
^New and Used Cars. "BMW M1 (1978-1981) CAR HISTORY". Is-it-a-lemon.com. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
^"BMW (E26) M1". Qv500.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
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