BMW M1

The M1 is BMW's first standalone M car, and its first mid-engine road car. Giugiaro drew the wedge, Lamborghini was originally to assemble it, and the production car was eventually built in Germany. The 3.5 litre inline-six produces 273 bhp and BMW quotes a top speed of about 265 km/h. The shape is flat, low and geometric, with pop-up headlights, black window surrounds and a wide rear haunch. A one-make Procar series turned the M1 into a racing fixture alongside the road-car programme. In a collection it explains where BMW's performance division came from, and why its later cars carry the letter at all.