Yahoo Autos BMW prototype racers through the decades
Last week BMW revealed its M Hybrid V8 LMDh race car. When it makes its maiden track outing in January 2023 at the 24 Hours of Daytona, it'll be BMW's first prototype race car in nearly a quarter century. At the car's unveiling in Los Angeles, the company brought out three prototype racers from its heritage collection to show the progression.
BMW M1C
The 1981 BMW M1C is considered by many to be the first IMSA GTP car, though there is some debate on the matter. Created for the newly established Grand Touring Prototype class, it made its debut at Riverside Raceway in 1981. Originally it mated a BMW M1 3.5-liter inline-six with a March chassis. It was quite a departure from BMW's contemporary race cars. The M division was established in 1972 to race the 3.0 CSL, then the M1. The M1C had no road-going counterpart and was the first "wing" car built by BMW.
However, compared to some of the V8-powered cars like the Lolas, it didn't have enough power. The team then switched to a version of BMW's 1.5-liter turbo four, which would go on to win the 1983 F1 championship in a Brabham chassis with Nelson Piquet behind the wheel.
The M1C was campaigned for just one season and unfortunately never won a race due to reliability issues. When it worked, it was fast, and it did qualify for pole position at Lime Rock.
Aside from the Alpine White body with M colors, there isn't much to distinguish this car as a BMW. Except for the grille, that is. Originally, the car had a more integrated kidney, but the piece flew off during a race. The BMW motorsports manager at the time was adamant that it must have company branding so, as the story goes, he went out to the parking lot and grabbed the grille off his wife's 320i. At the M1C's next pit stop, he quickly attached it and sent it back out to race.
Eventually, a fan found the missing piece and returned it. But the 320i grille is how the car finished the season, so that's how BMW's heritage collection has kept the car, even though they have the correct part.
