Photos of the BMW M1 Procar

The BMW M1 Procar makes an appearance 37 years after its race track premiere at Zolder, Belgium in May 1979. It was present at the Formula 1 World Championship race warm-up session in Austria. And boy, does it still look good! See photos below.

The May 1979 Procar Race where this car first appeared was an event where contemporary Formula 1 racing drivers battled it out in identical racing versions of the BMW M1. They raced against private drivers, national sports-car professionals, and promising upcoming drivers. Some of the drivers then, appeared at the BMW M1 at the Legends Parade in Spielberg. Three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda was there. Lauda won three Procar Races in 1979 and placed overall.

The BMW M1 Procar is a special vehicle. It was the first ever racing car that was designed from scratch by BMW Motorsport GmbH for the purpose of competing of the race track. In its time, it was the fastest German car. The series version delivered 204 kW/277 hp and a top speed of almost 265 km/h. It was the first super sports car from BMW.

Thanks to Quirin Schoen for the photos!