When the first-generation BMW 3 Series launched in 1975, few could have predicted its future as an icon in the automotive world. Yet, at the time, it faced a surprising image and branding problem ”it wasn t seen as sporty as the Neue Klasse BMW 2002. But BMW was determined to fix this so they turned to their motorsport division, where Jochen Neerpasch, the founder and father of BMW M, led a bold effort to transform the E21 into a racing machine. Incredibly, the BMW E21 320 Group 5 was developed in just three months.
The Batmobile
This wasn t BMW Motorsport s first rodeo. They had already turned heads in the racing world with the BMW 3.0 CSL, the Batmobile, which dominated competitions across Europe and the U.S., from Spa and Nürburgring to the European Touring Car Championship. But success doesn t last forever, and as the 3.0 CSL began to show its age, BMW sought its successor in the M1 ”a project developed and built in collaboration with Lamborghini. Unfortunately, Lamborghini s financial troubles soon spiraled into bankruptcy in 1978.
Faced with this crisis, Neerpasch took a bold step: the legend says he and his team spirited away BMW s M1 prototypes from Lamborghini s factory which was under lockdown due to bankruptcy. With the M1 delayed and BMW Motorsport under pressure, Neerpasch needed a new solution ”and fast. The answer came in the form of the first-generation E21 3 Series. The resulting race car, the BMW 320 Group 5, drew on the proven power of BMW s 2.0 liter, four-cylinder Formula 2 engine. Though developed in record time, the project was anything but simple.
Cue the BMW 320 Group 5
The 320 Group 5 debuted in the German Racing Championship (DRM), but BMW added a twist: the launch of the BMW Junior Team, a new racing program designed to train young drivers for professional motorsport. Critics were not in love with the idea of giving rookies the wheels of such powerful machines, but the gamble paid off. The juniors delivered thrilling performances from the outset, with Marc Surer clinching victory in their very first race. Surer and his teammates, Eddie Cheever and Manfred Winkelhock, all went on to race in Formula 1. Years later, Neerpasch would revive this concept at Mercedes, helping launch the career of a young Michael Schumacher.
BMW s ambitions didn t stop at Europe. Neerpasch and legendary engineer Paul Rosche sent three 320 Group 5 cars to the U.S. to compete in the IMSA championship, partnering with McLaren to manage the racing program. McLaren went a step further, turbocharging the Formula 2 engine to boost its power from 300 to over 600 horsepower. While the turbocharged 320 often suffered reliability issues, its sheer speed made it a fan favorite.
Neerpasch Leaves BMW
Over three seasons, it claimed eight wins and six podiums, offering much-needed excitement in a series otherwise dominated by Porsche. By the late 1970s, among tensions over the troubled M1 and dreaming about the supreme motorsport competition, Neerpasch decided to leave the company. He joined Peugeot to pursue his Formula 1 dream. The French company wanted to review the Talbot brand with a Formula 1 project as the main promotion tool, and for them Neerpasch proposed to build a team in partnership with Brabham. He had also an idea for an engine, a solution he started to know quite well: a turbocharged evolution of BMW s Formula 2 powerplant.
The 1,300 HP F1 Engine
In the end, the effort collapsed, and Talbot abandoned its Formula 1 ambitions. However, Neerpasch s vision had already set the wheels in motion. BMW took the idea and began working directly with Brabham and its brilliant designer, Gordon Murray. Together, they developed a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of jaw-dropping power. Paul Rosche later revealed that BMW s dynamometers couldn t even measure the engine s full output, which exceeded 1,300 horsepower. BMW s mission was clear: victory. In 1983, they achieved it, with Nelson Piquet winning the Formula 1 Drivers Championship.
How the McLaren F1 Came to Life
Murray s engineering prowess eventually led him to become the chief designer for the McLaren F1 team, where he created, among others, the iconic MP4/4 ”one of the most dominant cars in Formula 1 history. Ayrton Senna s triumph with this car in 1988 cemented its legendary status. After leaving the world of Formula 1, Murray turned his attention to the road, designing the McLaren F1 ”a hypercar that redefined benchmarks for speed and engineering. Powered by a naturally aspirated V12 developed by Paul Rosche, the McLaren F1 proudly bore the ˜BMW M Power badge. With 627 horsepower, it boasted the most powerful production engine BMW had ever made ”a record that stood for decades, broken only by the engine powering the BMW M5 CS.
The McLaren F1 wasn t just fast ”it was adored by its owners. Many drove their cars extensively, accumulating tens of thousands of miles despite their rarity and immense value. On the racetrack, the McLaren F1 GTR stunned the world by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, securing 1st, 2nd, and 4th place in its debut year. (Granted, 1995 was an unpredictable year at Le Mans, as all prototype cars faltered, allowing a GT car to claim an unexpected victory.) Inspired by this triumph, BMW returned to Le Mans in 1999 with the V12 LMR, powered by a closely related engine. That year, BMW achieved its first and only overall victory at the legendary race.
BMW s most significant motorsport triumphs ”in Formula 1 and Le Mans ”were rooted in partnerships, audacious decisions, and remarkably a special connection with McLaren through the years, with BMW race cars with McLaren modified engines, and McLaren hypercars with BMW produced engines. Lamborghini s bankruptcy in 1978 that forced BMW Motorsport to shift focus, became a catalyst for this remarkable journey.
At one point, Neerpasch even suggested that BMW acquire Lamborghini, but the idea was dismissed due to fears of inheriting Italian chaos. While BMW may have been right to hesitate, it s intriguing to imagine how the automotive world might look today if they had taken that leap.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
