M1 - looks awesome!

M1 - looks awesome!

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Discussion

Prince_Charming

Original Poster:

2,646 posts

276 months

Saturday 11th January 2003
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I'd never heard of this car till a friend mentioned it in the pub, but after a quick Google search, have found it. Looks absolutely amazing! How much do these go for, and what are they like?

Marc

www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/7686/M1_street/m1g.jpg

Bodo

12,421 posts

273 months

Saturday 11th January 2003
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Here is one on offer. Nice color, too

mervynP

366 posts

268 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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I'd never heard of this car till a friend mentioned it in the pub, but after a quick Google search, have found it. Looks absolutely amazing! How much do these go for, and what are they like?

Marc

www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/7686/M1_street/m1g.jpg


whatsamatta? bored of the Griff already?

Oh, and that link gets Smartfiltered for some reason....

Podie

46,645 posts

282 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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From what I can recall the M1 was originally used as a supporting feature for GP's... with top name drivers featuring. I think they were also used in Group 4 catagory racing and in a ProCar series.

Built around 1980, the code was "E26" it had an inline 6 cylinder engine, with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder - displacing around 3500cc. Power was rated around 280bhp with torque around 250 (IIRC) and was mid-engined and rear wheel drive.

Not many were built and I think mint examples command in excess of £50k...

Podie

46,645 posts

282 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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oh yeah... and it was made of fibreglass...

mrflibbles

7,711 posts

290 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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I'm sure i saw an article about buying one of these in EVO a few months back. Might want to check it out?

prince_charming

Original Poster:

2,646 posts

276 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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Thanks Podie and Flibbles (cool name btw!). Man it sounds like good specs, but I wasn't expecting the price tag that comes with it - must be the rarity I guess.

Merv - get yourself that Elise!

danger mouse

3,828 posts

268 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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IIRC the M1 was built by Lamborghini on contract for BMW and was launched around '77.

The initial concept was a Giugiaro design that differed from the production car by having a much higher, flatter tail that remained almost horiziontal from the highest point of the roof back. This gave it a slightly ungainly, squared of butt. the shutlines of the original were also made intensionally wide. Whether this was to enhance the graphic look of the panel breaks, or to compensate for the irregularities in late '70's GRP I don't know, but whole thing was cleaned up later and given a wedgier fastback tail.

The production car was used mostly in the one make series mentioned earlier, so there are probably not that many around now. Good ones are likely to cost telephone numbers, and be murder to run.

The engine may say BMW MOTORSPORT on the cam cover, but it does on the Maclaren F1 too, and should be considered equally unique.

Amazing car though. The grey one in the earlier link still looks incredibly fresh. My guess is, it's a car that has been bought to be owned, not driven.

Shame.


Mouse

>> Edited by danger mouse on Monday 13th January 12:53 because he couldn't anymore dyslexic today if he tried. Still suffering from tyre/ehaust fume inhalation after the Autosport show...

...those rally cars were stupendous!

>> Edited by danger mouse on Monday 13th January 12:59

Bodo

12,421 posts

273 months

Monday 13th January 2003
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danger mouse said:
Amazing car though. The grey one in the earlier link still looks incredibly fresh. My guess is, it's a car that has been bought to be owned, not driven.



Mouse, well observed!
This car was originally owned by Jochen Neerpasch; one of the fathers of the M1; hence it's the only grey one made (as the ad states)

ps. luuuuurrrrrrrrvely color!

domster

8,431 posts

277 months

Tuesday 14th January 2003
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I have driven an M1, and at the time, it is still the best M car I have driven, although I haven't driven the new M3 and M5 (have driven virtually everything else with an M badge though).

I would highly recommend one. Very offset pedals though, but an engine note to die for. It was a bit of a traffic stopper as well. An interesting purchase, great car and (probably) sound investment...

Cheers
Domster