.BMWMotorsport has produced some iconic machinery in its half-century of competition in world motorsport. We pick the 10 best examples. Feature:
For half a century, BMW’s motorsport division has been producing fantastic cars. It’s main areas of success have been on the road and in touring car racing, but it’s also taken big victories in sportscar competition and Formula 1.
But thereafter BMW’s developments didn’t bring the expected gains and it slipped further behind Ferrari and McLaren. The team switched its focus to the new F1 rules for 2009 as soon as possible, a gamble the failed and the F1.08 remained BMW’s high-water mark before it sold the team.Kubica, 2008 Canadian GP winner and fourth in points with F1.08, says: “It was good to see how things progressed after BMW took over Sauber and in 2008 we had a competitive car, one that suited my driving style.
Jan Lammers, winner in 1980 BMW M1 Procar series with BMW Nederland entry, says: “What was wonderful about that car first of all was the sound. If you like racing, hearing it going up through the gears was like a symphony. Rene Arnoux won the 1977 European crown in a Martini-Renault, ahead of the Ralt-BMW of Eddie Cheever, but the response from March produced something special.
“We had a great engine in the M12/7 from BMW; Paul Rosche was like a big brother to me. The Hart engine was lighter but the reliability and the torque of our engine were so good.”Quester won the 1983 ETCC crown with 635CSi, which continued winning until its replacement with the legendary M3The E24 6 Series took over the baton from the famed 3.0 CSL. It successfully did so immediately, two European Touring Car titles coming in 1980-81 before the arrival of Group A revived the category.
Emanuele Pirro, two-time ETCC winner in 1986 with Schnitzer 635CSi, says: “I got called up to race for Schnitzer at the Monza ETC race in 1985. I ended up damaging the sump when I went over a kerb, but I did enough to appreciate the car and for BMW to appreciate me - and to get invited back. That included a run of titles for Briton Andy Priaulx, who took the 2004 European Touring Car crown before securing a World Touring Car hat-trick from 2005-07. Either the E46 or E90 could make this list, but we’re happy to let Priaulx decide and he doesn’t hesitate…
Super Touring ultimately became too expensive but it is still regarded as a high-water mark for international tin-top competition. BMW competed with the E36 3 Series, in 318i/320i and two- and four-door forms, and was usually at the sharp end. “On the grid, Charly Lamm and me decided to change to wets even though it was not raining. But there were black clouds coming and every day it had rained at that time. At the end of the first lap I was so far behind everybody that I couldn’t see the next car, but then it started raining and I started overtaking cars. I caught Frank Biela in the four-wheel-drive Audi on the last lap. One more lap and I would have overtaken him to win the race.
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