Easter Special: History of BMW motorsport, inc the factory 959BHP M30...

[genphreak]

I was astonunded, it reads like a history of the 6-cylinder L6:

The Early Days at a glance.


The stylised propeller in the BMW logo reflects the early World Records established with aircraft engines. Following numerous championship titles won on motorcycles by drivers such as Ernst Jakob Henne, BMW also prevails in automobile racing. In 1940, the BMW 328 secures a superior victory in Italy’s legendary Mille Miglia.

The post-war years in Germany initially saw touring car racing take a back seat while motorbike racer and record-breaker Schorsch Meier gains the status of an idol on BMW Boxer bikes. Yet, even in these difficult years, BMW cars successfully compete in motor racing events. From 1960, BMW once again contests races with special touring cars, with Hans Stuck Senior winning the 1960 German Hill Climb Championship title behind the wheel of the BMW 700, thus hinting that the era of success has only just begun. Learn more about the beginnings of BMW in international motor racing – in the first chapter of the BMW Tradition.


BMW 328.


Designation: BMW 328 Construction period: 1936 to 1939 Performance: 80bhp at 4,500rpm
Top speed: 150 km/h
Capacity: 1971cc Engine design: 6-cylinder in-line
Sales price: RM7,400 Number of units produced: 464

When Ernst Jakob Henne wins the 1936 Eifel Race, on the BMW 328 Roadster’s debut appearance, it can’t be foreseen that the new BMW sports car is soon to dominate the two-litre class in both Germany and international motor racing. In the years that follow, Helmut Polensky is one of many drivers to celebrate major successes behind the wheel of the BMW 328. Amongst others, he wins the 1939 German Sports Car Championship title.

Actually, there are very few races in the late 1930s where the top positions aren’t secured by a BMW 328. Prior to the launch of the coupe, BMW has successfully established itself as a renowned automobile manufacturer, however, the previous top model, the BMW 319/1, wasn’t competitive enough to stand its ground in the battle with its competitors.

Behind the scenes, BMW developed a new model, a car with an appearance that still makes the hearts of many sports car enthusiasts beat that little bit faster. Thanks to a new aluminium cylinder head and an innovative valve gear, the plan to design a 1.9-litre engine delivering 80 bhp is successfully put into action. Special racing versions of this car, equipped with a 135 BHP six-cylinder in-line engine, reach top speeds of about 220 km/h.

A series of Racing successes.


Following remarkable successes in the 1960s, BMW continues its touring car success story in the following decade, the 1970s. From 1973 to 1979, the BMW 3.0 CSL secures another six European Touring Car Championship titles for the manufacturer, and Harald Ertl clinches the 1978 German Motor Racing Championship, with a BMW 320 entered by the Schnitzer Team.
In the mid 1980s, the commanding BMW 635 CSi Coupe is the car to beat in the European Touring Car Championship. Following race wins in 1985, Roberto Ravaglia secures the 1986 European Championship title. In 1987, BMW enters the slim but meaty successor to the 6 Series coupe – the BMW M3: a true driving machine with a 355bhp 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine. It turns out to be almost invincible, whether contesting the Asian Pacific Championship, the European Hill Climb Championship or rallies. Furthermore, Roberto Ravaglia clinches the World Touring Car Championship with the M3.

For a new, closer to production, touring car series – called Class 2 or 2-litre class, and subsequently, Super Touring Cars – BMW designs a new superior touring car: the BMW 320i. From 1993 to 1998, this car secures 29 international championships for BMW, three of them in Germany.

Thus far, BMW has amassed a total of 24 European Championship titles, with Andy Priaulx being the driver to secure the last of these – at the wheel of a BMW 320i, in 2004. In 2005, the Briton also prevails in the second World Touring Car Championship.

A one-make series next to F1.


Launched in the late 1970s, the E26 (BMW M1) is the first non-production car based BMW to make a motor racing assault – and proves to be a sports car sensation. The 1.14 metre vehicle is equipped with a 277 bhp mid-engine. Tuning measures such as forged pistons, racing camshafts, bigger valves with twin valve springs and two turbochargers boost the horsepower output 959 bhp. Furthermore, widened fenders, lowered suspension and a massive rear wing make for impressive top speeds.

The Procar Series, a one-make series for M1 drivers, is run in 1979/1980 and, right from the start, turns out to be extremely popular with the crowds. The races, usually held as part of the support programme at European Formula One Grands Prix, are contested by independent drivers – and those five Formula One drivers that set the fastest lap times in the practice sessions for the respective Grand Prix. In the 100-kilometre races, aces such as Nelson Piquet, Emerson Fittipaldi and Carlos Reutemann battle it out with young, ambitious racers such as Marc Surer, Manfred Winkelhock, Bruno Giacomelli and Eddie Cheever – with all the drivers being provided with identical cars. The first championship is won by the legendary Niki Lauda.

The second and final Procar season, in 1980, turns out to be just as thrilling as the first. At the end of the day, Nelson Piquet wins, with Alan Jones and Hans-Joachim Stuck finishing second and third respectively.

EDIT: More on the M88 Big 6 engine:
400 of the M1's where road cars, 53 race cars.

M88 Production M1 engine, 277hp, 330Nm @ 5000rpm kugelfischer 9:1
M88/1 Procar Group 4, 3453cc, 351kW up to 490bhp, 390Nm @ 9000RPM* kugelfischer (in the M1 this did 310km/h)
M88/2 Procar Group 5, 3200cc, twin KKK turbos- up to 950bhp @ 9000RPM at 1.6bar turbo pressure, kugelfischer
M88/3 Production engine, 3453cc 286hp 340Nm at 4500rpm (made for E28 M5 and M635csi) Motronic controlled 10.5:1)

* Unconfirmed- Sources online say this but I suspect it is more like 7500rpm

The M88/2 is a twin turbocharged engine. Most of the development for the M88/2 was done by Schnitzer who turbocharged the M49/3 engine in 1976. The turbocharged M49/3 was called M49/4 and yielded 750bhp at 1,3 bar or 950bhp at 1,6bar. M49/3 and M49/4 where used for the E9 racing CSL's during '75-'76 (ETC group 5 season and American IMSA series.

Developed from the M49 the 24-valve racing engines used in E9s from the mid 1970s, the M88 was quite different: M49 uses a gear train to drive the two camshafts whereas the M88's camshafts are driven by a chain directly.

BTW, S38 is the catalyst version of the M88/3 running 9.8:1 compression and developing 260hp 330Nm @ 4500rpm. The later S38B35,B36 & B38 variants were fitted to subsequent M cars such as the e34. The B38 variant was 3453cc, 10:1 and had a 3mm greater stroke and did 7200rpm in factory form (as fitted to the e34 M5)

Great info over at the bmwe34m5 website;
These links have been updated as the bmwe34m5.com website remains offline after a domain hog stole the domain. I've found historical info on the waybackmachine:

All about M-engine development (beware, its a phat pdf- looking for a place to host it at present as bimmernut limits pdf hosting to 20k)
All about e34 M-cars (link to one of the replies below)
All about M-engine history