Riding Shotgun: BMW M1

When you see an M1 gliding down the street towards you, you may have to rub your eyes, because it isn't a flying saucer.  But the sight is certainly otherwordly. Giugiaro's clean lines are a familiar sight, and the resemblance to the Lotus Esprit S1 and the Delorean are not coincidental.  But somehow the BMW looks more racey than the other Giugiaro wedges, and has some really stunning proportions that blow the other two cars away.  Performance-wise, there is obviously no competition. The M1 wins, hands down.Particularly when seen from the side view, the M1 just looks right. Many wedge cars look too long in front and too short in back, but the overhangs are just the right balance with the M1.  The minimalist campagnolo rims really set the car off in period-perfect fashion. Phil was very eager to take the M1 out and stretch its legs. He confided that of his 4 lovely machines, the M1 is probably his favorite.  He praised its comfort and usability, but also its power and outright speed. Similar in temperament to the much later Acura NSX, the M1 is a docile pet when driven round town, that transforms into a feral beast when uncorked on the open road.Unlike my rides in the Stratos and the A110, which were on local roads, my experience in the M1 was enriched by Phil's decision to take it on a quick sprint up the NJ turnpike for some fuel.  As we rocketed off the onramp, we could see slack-jawed New Jersey motorists craning their necks in their cars as our teutonic space craft flew effortlessly past.  When on the cam, the race-bred straight 6 engine produces a fierce, howling exhaust note that you just want to hear more of.  Phil obliged by dropping the hammer at every opportunity. Every downshift is announced with a deep, single backfire that sounds like a howitzer firing from a distant hilltop.When we brought the car back to the garage, some neighbors were out, and asked what kind of car it was. I think most people would be surprised, as they were, to learn that it is a BMW, and not a Lamborghini or Ferrari.  Obviously the car wears Italian clothing, and other than the wedge-nosed 8 series and europe-only Z1, it is certainly an aesthetic outlier within the BMW family.  Yet it is arguably the most iconic, desirable BMW since the original 328 or the 507. Though the 2002 and the 3.5 CSL may have defined the 70s for BMW, the M1 is in its own league of supercars that no BMW since has really come close to.  It's in the pantheon of true mid-engined exotics, and had its own PROCAR single-make race series to boot!  And although I commend BMW for focusing on the core competency in sport sedans, one only wishes to see them produce a car this special once again.  The recent i8 concept certainly alludes strongly to the M1, but production reality is still far behind the dream.Click HERE for the entire BMW M1 gallery!

Thanks a lot, Phil. A morning most well spent!

Das 1

A pristine BMW M1 seen recently at Caffeine and Carburetors in New Canaan, CT.  Perfect in every detail.

Frank Stella BMW M1 goes on the block at Bonhams this August

It's times like this I wish I was a Russian oligarch.  Or any sort of oligarch for that matter.  In addition to the famous BMW 3.0 CSL that Frank Stella painted in graph paper livery for BMW's Le Mans assault in 1976, he also apparently painted an M1 on private commission in 1979.  This makes the M1 in question the only BMW Art Car that will ever be available for private sale, since all the others reside in BMW's permanent collection.  Even more curious is that this painted M1 was in the Guggenheim's collection since 1999, but it was never displayed, as far as I know, except to be driven in 2003 for an exhibition run.  With an estimate of $450,00-$600,00 I'd say this car is a bargain by Art auction standards.

Via the NY Times Wheels Blog

Upper photo credit: Phil Patton