BMW supercars

By Tim Pollard

29 July 2008 09:00

For a company that calls itself a purveyor of 'ultimate driving machines', it hasn't much form in the supercar arena. However, its one real entry is one hell of an effort. The '70s M1 was a mid-engined brute that mixed a mid-engine straight six with scintillating looks and a razor-sharp drive. Twenty years on, and BMW is considering launching a Mk2 in the shape of the Hommage concept shown earlier in summer 2008.

Make and model	Year	Price	Engine	0-60mph	Top speed
BMW M1	1978	£26,810	3453cc straight six, 277bhp, 239lb ft	5.8sec	161mph
	For:	Spawned the Procar F1 support races: often better than the main event
	Against:	'Only' 277bhp in road trim
	Verdict:	There's been a supercar-shaped hole in BMW's range ever since

BMW's only mid-engined supercar nearly never happened: Lamborghini was asked to develop it, then almost went bust. Built in tiny numbers (fewer than 500) but the glorious straight-six lived on in the first M5 and M6.