- I love BMWs.
I grew up fixing them with my dad,
I've owned two of them so far,
and I plan on owning many more.
They are the pinnacle of performance driving.
(funky music)
And this week, on The Bestest,
I'm covering every legendary BMW
that has solidified the brand as a leader
in automotive technology, design, and performance.
The 328 Roadster,
built between 1936 to 1940,
kick started BMW's motor sport career
by placing them on the cutting edge of innovation,
styling, and performance.
It was extremely advanced, sporting independent suspension
and a sleek, lightweight body with integrated headlights.
The first of its kind,
it's two liter inline six engine was also quite advanced
and helped the 328 Roadster take over 100 class wins.
- 100! - It won the Mille Miglia
with an average speed of 103 miles per hour.
It also took a class win at the RCA Tourist Trophy,
as well as a class win at the 1939 24 Hours Le Mans.
It's a highly recognized masterpiece
and ranked among the top 25 cars of the 20th century.
The 507 Roadster,
built between 1956 and 1959,
is considered the most collectible BMW ever made.
That's because of its stunning looks,
low production volume, and rich history of famous owners.
It was popularized by some very famous people,
including Elvis Presley, John Surtees,
and Bernie Ecclestone, who sold his at auction in 2007
for close to one million dollars.
- Let's make it a million.
- The idea for the 507 was conceived
by BMW's exclusive U.S. car importer,
who wanted a Roadster to fill the gap
between the more expensive Mercedes 300 SL
and the cheaper MG sports cars of the time.
The 507 came with BMW's first
aluminum alloy dual carburated push rod V8,
previously used in the larger equally elegant 502.
Not many were sold, but its design cues
inspired a BMW design philosophy
that holds true even to this day.
The 2002 Turbo is an entry level BMW
that is also beginning to sell for big bucks.
It was one of the first production cars
to use Turbo technology and gave this light little two door
a healthy 170 horsepower.
It quickly gained a reputation as a serious track weapon.
Its perfectly balanced 50-50 weight distribution
proved to be BMW's golden ratio.
And the 2002 was even proving itself
long before the Turbo even came out.
In 1970, the 2002 won the Nurburgring 24 Hours
with the help of Hans Stuck,
who would become a legend for his sideways driving
and yodeling while he crossed finish lines.
So, I guess BMW figured if they slapped a Turbo on a 2002,
anyone could be a Hans Stuck.
But Turbo technology was brand new.
It made brutal top end power,
but inhaled gasoline doing so.
When the oil crisis hit a year later, in 1974,
BMW was forced to ditch their air induction technology.
The BMW 3.0 CSL,
built between 1971 to 1979,
marked BMW's return to international motor sports.
Produced in low numbers,
only to meet homologation requirements for competition,
its popularity spiked due to the success
of its racing career.
Nicknamed "The Batmobile,"
it has strikingly large fenders and an oversized rear wing.
- Does it come in black?
- It's the coolest looking race car ever built,
and even took on the first two R-car liveries BMW ever used.
It dominated the European Touring Car Championship.
And even got a one-two finish
at the German Touring Car Grand Prix
at Nurburgring in 1973.
It was doing great until it entered Group 5.
In 1976, Group 5 tightened the rules
to cater to production cars, instead of prototypes.
So, BMW entered the CSL
with a larger three point five liter engine.
It did good, but not good enough.
So, the CSL was replaced with a smaller, more nimble car
that would go on to make BMW history
and mark the beginning of BMW's
longest running line of sports cars.
The E21 BMW is the first generation
of a long running line of three series BMWs.
A car we love, and a video you should check out
regarding its evolution.
It was also a perfect candidate for Group 5.
In just 12 weeks, BMW replaced the CSL
with the 320 Turbo Group 5 race car,
with even bigger fender flares and an even bigger wing,
weighing in at a much lighter 1600 pounds.
I did the math.
It's M12 engine was taken from
BMW's successful Formula 2 cars.
A two liter inline four,
making 300 horsepower.
And it wasn't just the car that was spectacular.
It was the drivers, as well.
The first junior driving program ever created
entered the German Touring Car Championships in 1977
with the 320 Turbo.
In the USA, the car was lacking power
to keep up with the Porsche 935s and 934s.
The car needed more power,
so BMW teamed up with McLaren of North America
to do just that,
pumping out up 650 horsepower from the little two liter.
Quickly labeled as the "Flying Brick,"
it won seven races between 1977 and 1978.
But the Porches still put up a good fight,
so BMW, again, went back to the drawing board.
In comes BMW's very first M car, the M1.
A mid-engined super car
that was a brand new concept for the brand,
and subsequently, turned into a nightmare to manufacture.
It was designed by Lamborghini,
but Lamborghini was going broke,
so BMW had to pull the plug on them.
By the time they got all the parts sourced
and assembled together, Group 5 was dismantled.
So, BMW was like, "I guess we'll just have
"to make our own race."
So was born the Procar Series,
and perhaps what saved the M1
from becoming completely useless.
However, its engine was anything but useless.
It was developed by engine guru, Paul Rosche,
the same guy responsible for the McLaren F1's
golden V12 engine.
Paul took the notorious inline six
from the 3.0 CSL,
and gave it individual throttle bodies
and four valves per cylinder.
A top-end recipe that would stay true
to almost every M car after it.
And once they strapped a Turbo to that beast,
it made an incredible 850 horsepower.
But the mid-engine super car layout
just wasn't doing it for BMW.
Using everything they've learned from the M1,
they created one of those most incredible
sports car models in history.
In comes the first M3, The Wolf,
model code, E30,
the followup to the BMW 320 Turbo.
By now, racing regulations were changing every year.
BMW knew they could build race cars quickly and win races.
But the reason they ditched the 320
was because of its reliability.
But now, Paul Rosche cracked the code,
and had reliable power on tap.
So, he designed a smaller powerful four cylinder
with the engine code S14.
Because the street cars had to resemble the race cars
aerodynamically and by engine size,
BMW made the EVO I, the EVO II, and the Sport Evolution.
By 1989, they were making 295 horse power, stock.
The E30 has won more races than any other model
and is considered one of the most successful
race cars of all time.
In the mid 90s something special happened.
The McLaren F1.
It was a huge success, taking home victories
in a race BMW had never won,
the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Since my boy, Paul, was responsible
for its incredible engine,
BMW jumped on the opportunity to feature it
in a prototype race car,
in hopes of taking home the overall title.
With the help of Williams,
they designed a prototype chassis
that would become the benchmark
for many prototypes that followed.
The BMW V12 LMR utilized a single roll hoop
and a raised foot box, something never seen before.
And its engine in its newly modified format
proved to be very quick,
giving the BMW LMR its first and only win to date
at the most grueling event in motor sports.
Its success led to BMW's partnership
as a V10 engine supplier for Williams F1
beginning in the year 2000.
(car engine squealing)
Shortly after their success at Le Mans,
BMW introduced the Holy Grail of M3s,
model code E46.
It would be another chance for BMW
to take on the mighty Porsche 911s
that were, once again, dominating the field.
Although the car outhandled the competition,
its robust inline six cylinder engine
was lacking the power to keep up around the track.
So, BMW made 10 special edition M3s
with a powerful lightweight V8.
- I like V8s.
(laughing)
- The E46 M3 GTR,
quite possibly the greatest M3 ever made.
Let's put this all in perspective.
Porsche has been BMW's chief rival since day one,
and the 911 is the most widely and most successful car
in motor sport history.
In the American Le Mans Series,
Porsche outnumbered BMW four to one.
When the M3 GTR showed up a year later, in 2001,
the GTR knocked the pants off of Porsche,
winning six out of eight races
and taking home the Manufacturer's Championship Title.
Nowadays, the GT category is starting to look
a lot like a super car race.
Cars are becoming longer, wider, and much more powerful.
BMW, once again, needs to introduce a car
that can keep up with the Porsche 911.
First they had success with the Z4,
then the M6,
and now, they're moving on to a brand M8.
The M8 GTE could be BMW's answer
to a race winning super car they've always longed for,
ever since the M1.
This could be the next legendary car
that puts BMW back on top.
If not, you can rest assured that they'll be back in no time
with something even better.
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If you love the M3, just like me,
go ahead and check out this Up to Speed about the M3.
If you wanna learn more about Turbos,
check out this episode of Science Garage.
Are you a Beemer fan?
Because by now, you should be.
So, let us know in the comments, and I'll see you next week.
(upbeat electronic music)