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40 years of BMW M Division
The BMW M1 (1978) is a supercar automobile, and was the first and only mid-engined BMW. It employed a twin-cam M88/1 3.5 L 6-cylinder engine. The M1 coupe was hand-built between 1978 and 1981 under the Motorsport division of BMW as a homologation special for sports car racing. Though the car never saw a great deal of racing success, the M1 is remembered as a refined and civilized supercar in the true BMW tradition, with great handling and stellar build quality. BMW M 535i - the BMW E12 automobile platform was the basis for the 1972 through 1981 BMW 5-Series automobiles and the first platform to bear the 5-Series name. The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1985. At its launch, the E28 M5 was the fastest production saloon in the world. In 1983, BMW took the M88/3 engine, a modified version of the M88/1 from the BMW M1 and put it in the E24 chassis of the BMW 6-Series, creating the M6. M6s can be distinguished from other E24 models by a larger air dam, M6 badges on the grille and back, and a subtle spoiler. The first generation BMW M3 was based on the 1986 BMW 3-Series E30, and although looking very similar shared very little body panels - only the hood and roof. This remarkable peace of engineering allowed the BMW M3 E30 to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in just 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 235kph. It was powered by a specially developed 2.3-liter inline 4-cylinder engine producing 195bhp fitted with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The replacement for the original M3 appeared at the 1992 Paris Auto Show. This E36 coupe model got the 3.0-l S50B30 straight-6 engine, which produced 286bhp. The BMW M3 saloon was launched in 1995. The E34 M5 was produced from 1989 to 1995 at BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany and like the previous M5, was entirely hand-built. It utilized the 535i chassis which was produced at BMW's Dingolfing plant. Assembly was done either by a single M employee or a team of M employees and generally took about two weeks. The E34 M5 had a highly-tuned I6 engine called the S38B36. Originally, it had a displacement of 3.6-l and produced 315bhp. The BMW M Coupe is based on the BMW Z3M Roadster. The semi-trailing arm rear suspension was not modified from the M Roadster. The third generation of the BMW M3, this time based on the E46 model series coupé, made its debut in the year 2000. From the onset, the BMW M3 was a particularly powerful sports coupé of the highest calibre, with truly unparalleled performance. In its design, the third-generation BMW M3 again followed the footsteps of the first generation, albeit without spoilers and striking extra-wide wheel arches. Made of aluminium, the engine compartment lid is approximately 40 percent lighter than a comparable lid made of steel plate. Unlike its predecessors, the E39 M5 was not handbuilt, but was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory, Germany. A total of 20,482 E39 M5s were made from 1998 to 2003. The E39 M5 had a highly tuned V8 engine based on the M62 engine called the S62, which displaced 4.9-l and produced 400bhp. In 2003, BMW introduced the series version of the Concept Car which had already hit the headlines at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show - the BMW M3 CSL, an abbreviation standing for "Coupé, Sports, Lightweight". Introducing the M Track Mode, BMW M GmbH added a special DSC mode carried over from motorsport as yet another highlight in the BMW M3 CSL. BMW M5 (2005) is the most powerful of all time: five liters of cubic capacity, ten cylinders, a maximum output of 507bhp, a peak torque of 53kgm and engine speeds redlining at 8,000 rpm, these are figures that speak for themselves. With its performance figures, the fourth-generation BMW M5 once again set the benchmark in the segment of powerful sports saloons, a niche which the first BMW M5 carved for itself back in 1984. With the launch of the BMW M6 in 2005, BMW M GmbH presented the most dynamic and sporting rendition of the BMW 6-Series Coupe. The M6 was powered by a 5-liter motor, 10 cylinders, 507bhp, 53kgm of maximum torque, and engine speed beyond the 8,000rpm limit. The BMW Z4 M Coupe (2006) encloses its two seats and a larger cargo area in a graceful fastback body that retains the unique BMW Z4 aesthetic character and the special BMW M details. The transformation from a regular-production BMW model to a BMW M creation was always subtle, always purposeful. The M Coupe is clearly in this tradition. Launched in 2006, BMW's fastest ever soft-top, the BMW M6 Cabrio was powered by the award-winning 5.0-litre V10 engine and made used of a host of F1-derived technology. The BMW M6 Cabrio combines all the performance of the BMW M6 Coupé but with the added luxury of open-air motoring. BMW raises the performance benchmark once again with the introduction of the 2008 M3 saloon. Sharing the M3 Coupe's high-revving 414bhp V8 and balanced chassis that is designed to be "faster than its engine", BMW's motorsports arm offered the most powerful, highest-performing M3 ever with four doors. The new BMW X5 4.8i M Sport comes equipped with 19-inch V-spoke M light alloy wheels, sports suspension, M aerodynamic body styling, sports seats, matt aluminium surround to the side window frames, high-gloss shadowline roof rails, anthracite headlining and M leather steering wheel. Power for the car comes from a 4,799cc engine fitted with Bi-VANOS and VALVETRONIC variable valve technologies to produce 355hp. The advanced engine is capable of propelling the car from zero to 100kph in 6.5 seconds before going on to a top speed of 241kph. BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a 485bhp, eight cylinder engine, this impressive race car had been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car was based on the fourth generation BMW M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH. The high-performance model BMW M3 (2010) consistently combined its outstanding driving performance figures with further reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels. The 4.0-litre V8 high-revving engine mobilises 420bhp, enabling superior acceleration response due to its unique propulsion. With anticipation of enthusiasts around the world at fever pitch, BMW M GmbH unveiled the newest member of its intimate product family, the 1-Series M Coupe in 2011. The M badge was imparted after a two-year development process through which BMW M engineers and test drivers achieved the exceptional power delivery and the signature, near-perfect driving behavior of a BMW M car. With the BMW M3 GTS (2011), BMW M offered a truly outstanding performer based on the BMW M3 Coupé, which was also ideal for Clubsport events. The BMW M3 GTS is largely hand-built by the most skilled craftsmen at BMW M as a perfectly harmonised package of outstanding modifications, with production exclusively to the customer's personal order. Focused on motorsport, the modifications comprise both the drivetrain, the suspension and the body of the car, as well as its interior. Under the bonnet of the new BMW M5 (2012) lies a newly developed, high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo, a maximum output of 560bhp and peak torque of 69.4kgm between 1,500 and 5,750 rpm. The instantaneous power delivery and sustained thrust familiar from M cars are the key to acceleration of 0 - 100kph in 4.4 seconds and 0 - 200kph in 13 seconds. BMW's M-Technik division turns 40 this month. Here is a detailed photogallery of M's glorious years.