Nur 40 BMW M1 Procars were made. However, this car is the only one that has been registered for road use.
A rare BMW M1 will join the crowd at the Pebble Beach Classic Car Show. This is the only street-legal BMW M1 Procar that was built. It will be displayed alongside a virtual reality track experience by the Thermal Club.
The BMW M1 Procar was produced in 1979 for a very limited run. It was part of a racing series called the BMW M1 Procar Championship. This series was developed according to Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile standards. Procar was eventually dismantled after only two years.
BMW was left with 40 race-ready BMW M1s, but no series to race them. Each M1 was a stripped-down version of the road car they were based on and produced a staggering 470 horsepower (350kilowatts) thanks to a 3.5-liter straight six engine. This power enabled a sprint of just 4.3 seconds to 0-60 mph (96 kmh), and a top speed at 190 mph (355 kmh). Only one of the M1 race cars was ever converted to street use, number 31 out of 40.
In 1979, the car was sold to its first owner. It eventually made its way to the U.S. After being stripped of its original owner, the car was completely restored by Canepa. They added all the Procar styling cues, such as the huge rear wing and the 17-inch BBS center lock wheels.
The M1 received Procar suspension uprights and hubs, control arms tie rods, axles and mirrors. A Penske coilover suspension was also added to the vehicle to restore it to its racing glory. VAC Motorsports rebuilt the original six-cylinder engine and added electronic fuel injection. The engine produced 414 horsepower (306kW) and 357 pound feet of torque. This power is coupled to a ZF five-speed gearbox.
The interior has a black leather exterior and a subtle Basalt Blau interior. This car was sold in 2016 and is now heading to the McCall’s Motorworks Revival in Monterey, as part of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.