Club report on the Carrera DIGITAL 124 BMW M1 Procar "Regazzoni No.28", 1979 by CoMod Lotus!
Item No.: 20023820
Shopping link: http://bit.ly/1PgQkKN
The BMW M1 is a polarizing car: you either like the wedge shape or you don't. The M1 is one of the last designs in a long line of vehicles by the three "wedge designers" Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Marcello Gandini.
I know a few people who have a special connection to the car. CoMod Mike, for example, told us many years ago that when he was young, he often passed by the Karosserie Baur factory where the car was manufactured. He's been a fan ever since.
I've also been fascinated by the first real racing car from Munich-based M GmbH since my youth. I had an original factory poster of the BMW supercar hanging on the wall in my office for over 15 years; the 277-hp sports car is one of my absolute dream cars.
Five or six years ago, there was a production M1 on display at the Technorama in Ulm. The price back then was €75,000. Unfortunately, it wasn't in my price range, but it would have been a good buy. These days, you can't find an M1 for less than €150,000. The Procar versions, which are very rarely offered, start at €750,000.
Many CarreraClub members have been calling for the car for the 124 range, and we CoMods have also been suggesting the M1 for many years.
Our best argument was actually the reason that would represent the BMW M1's biggest drawback in reality: since the race cars originally planned for Group 4 could no longer be used due to rule changes shortly before their release, BMW launched the Procar series as a supporting program for Formula 1. Here, the five fastest Formula 1 drivers competed in factory BMW M1 cars against a maximum of 19 sports car and private drivers of this vehicle type. The M1 was thus its own racing series. With a correspondingly large number of designs, sponsors, etc. Essentially, it was every racetrack manufacturer's dream. ;-)
The joy was all the greater when the BMW M1 Procar was announced in the 2015 program.
So now I have the factory racing car with the number 28 in front of me. Driver: Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari Formula 1 driver and legendary teammate of Niki Lauda. Incidentally, he drove for Williams in 1979. BMW's factory livery is familiar: a white base color with horizontal stripes in light blue, dark blue, and red.
The proportions of the body are well captured, and the paintwork is true to the original. Even the driver involvement makes a very good impression, which is not easy with such a low body. When I first held the car in my hands, my first thought was, "It needs a long run; it's probably not challenged enough on its classic home track." I was all the more surprised by the way it handles! I knew that a car with such a low center of gravity and such a wide chassis would handle well in corners. But I hadn't thought that the speeding door wedge would pull away so well from the bottom, despite the long gear ratio. This could also be due to the weight of just 212 g. The rubber compound of the tires is very soft, which also contributes to the good handling.
Conclusion: a car that is really fun and is guaranteed to find its way onto the tracks of the club members!
Best regards,
CoMod Lotus
Item No.: 20023820
Shopping link: http://bit.ly/1PgQkKN
The BMW M1 is a polarizing car: you either like the wedge shape or you don't. The M1 is one of the last designs in a long line of vehicles by the three "wedge designers" Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, Giorgetto Giugiaro, and Marcello Gandini.
I know a few people who have a special connection to the car. CoMod Mike, for example, told us many years ago that when he was young, he often passed by the Karosserie Baur factory where the car was manufactured. He's been a fan ever since.
I've also been fascinated by the first real racing car from Munich-based M GmbH since my youth. I had an original factory poster of the BMW supercar hanging on the wall in my office for over 15 years; the 277-hp sports car is one of my absolute dream cars.
Five or six years ago, there was a production M1 on display at the Technorama in Ulm. The price back then was €75,000. Unfortunately, it wasn't in my price range, but it would have been a good buy. These days, you can't find an M1 for less than €150,000. The Procar versions, which are very rarely offered, start at €750,000.
Many CarreraClub members have been calling for the car for the 124 range, and we CoMods have also been suggesting the M1 for many years.
Our best argument was actually the reason that would represent the BMW M1's biggest drawback in reality: since the race cars originally planned for Group 4 could no longer be used due to rule changes shortly before their release, BMW launched the Procar series as a supporting program for Formula 1. Here, the five fastest Formula 1 drivers competed in factory BMW M1 cars against a maximum of 19 sports car and private drivers of this vehicle type. The M1 was thus its own racing series. With a correspondingly large number of designs, sponsors, etc. Essentially, it was every racetrack manufacturer's dream. ;-)
The joy was all the greater when the BMW M1 Procar was announced in the 2015 program.
So now I have the factory racing car with the number 28 in front of me. Driver: Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari Formula 1 driver and legendary teammate of Niki Lauda. Incidentally, he drove for Williams in 1979. BMW's factory livery is familiar: a white base color with horizontal stripes in light blue, dark blue, and red.
The proportions of the body are well captured, and the paintwork is true to the original. Even the driver involvement makes a very good impression, which is not easy with such a low body. When I first held the car in my hands, my first thought was, "It needs a long run; it's probably not challenged enough on its classic home track." I was all the more surprised by the way it handles! I knew that a car with such a low center of gravity and such a wide chassis would handle well in corners. But I hadn't thought that the speeding door wedge would pull away so well from the bottom, despite the long gear ratio. This could also be due to the weight of just 212 g. The rubber compound of the tires is very soft, which also contributes to the good handling.
Conclusion: a car that is really fun and is guaranteed to find its way onto the tracks of the club members!
Best regards,
CoMod Lotus
