BMW M1
Although the M1 was not a commercial success and sold only 453 copies, this limited-production sports car was tremendously crucial for the brand and for BMW’s future. This was the first model designed and produced by BMW’s famed M Motorsport division, which was until then responsible for racing cars only.
BMW presented the M1 in 1978 and it was one of the biggest premieres of the year. The heart of the car was BMW’s famous M88 six-cylinder engine with 3.5 liters of displacement, advanced fuel injection, and 273 HP, a high number for the day. The M1 was a mid-engined car, and handling was sublime with performance better than most of the competitors. BMW wanted to go racing, and the M1 racing car was next. But, despite all the qualities and the fantastic design, M1 wasn’t successful since it was expensive, not available on all markets and its lack of reputation in the sports car class proved to be fatal (via Car and Driver).