M1
The original M supercar. A mid-mounted straight-six.
1978 European road-car specification · Factory source
Every figure, in one place.
Performance
- Power
- 277 PS · 273 hp · 204 kW
- Torque
- 330 Nm
- 0–100 km/h
- 5.6 s
- Top speed
- 262 km/h
- Power-to-weight
- 4.69 kg/PS
Engine and drivetrain
- Engine
- M88 · Inline-six
- Displacement
- 3,453 cm³
- Induction
- Naturally aspirated
- Gearbox
- 5-speed ZF manual
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive
- Powertrain
- Petrol
Body and dimensions
- Production
- 1978–1981
- Body
- Coupés
- Length
- 4,361 mm
- Width
- 1,824 mm
- Height
- 1,140 mm
- Wheelbase
- 2,560 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1,300 kg
- Fuel tank
- 116 L
Where this car ranks across all 93 cars in the catalogue.
Why you’d want one
- Exploring the origins of the M road-car story.
Know before you buy
- Rust in sills, floors and arches is the main concern
- Parts are scarce; originality affects value
- Specialist servicing and valve adjustment required
Commonly reported ownership points, not a guarantee of faults. Always get an independent inspection.
An M car with its engine behind you.
The M1’s mid-mounted M88 straight-six gives it a layout very different from the front-engine M saloons and coupés that followed. It makes a distinctive first stop in the early M story.
Exploring the origins of the M road-car story.
A rare classic needs model-specific expertise.
The M1 is a mid-engine car.
M88 · Inline-six
The road-going M1 pairs a 3,453 cm³ six-cylinder with a mid-engine layout. Its M88 uses four valves per cylinder, individual intake throttles and dry-sump lubrication.
M88 museum display in Munich. The foreground engine is the M88 reference; this is not an installed M1 engine-bay photograph.
M88 · Petrol
The road-going M1 pairs a 3,453 cm³ six-cylinder with a mid-engine layout. Its M88 uses four valves per cylinder, individual intake throttles and dry-sump lubrication.
Natural aspiration
Intake air enters without a turbocharger. Engine breathing, valve timing and engine speed shape the way torque builds.
Rear-wheel drive
The engine sits behind the cabin and drives the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. This entry describes the road car, whose output differs from Procar racing versions.
1978 European road-car specification
Power and torque above describe engine output for this specific factory specification. PS means metric horsepower; hp is used for US-rated output. Other model years and markets can differ. Open the BMW factory source for the original specification.
The full specification.
Related cars
Photo credits
- BMW M1 (E26) front high.jpg — Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original