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Celebrating 50 Years of BMW M at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022
Photography by: Henry Jackson Article by: G.D.S
Photography by: Henry Jackson
Article by: G.D.S
Date Posted: December 3,2022
The Festival of Speed had some of the finest supercars, exotic cars, hypercars and classic cars from around the world on display, but nothing could be taken away from BMW, as the motoring giants celebrated ‘50 years of BMW M’. Car enthusiasts and fellow car companies alike paid homage to some of the most iconic cars of past and present from BMW, and with the benchmark of their own success being so high, BMW did not disappoint. In true BMW style they showcased their history in a special stage that was worthy of the BMW brand and arguably one of the highlights at The Festival of Speed.
Carefully situated on top of a steel container was a BMW M1, and for good reason, being one of the rarest BMW’s ever made with a total of only 453 cars ever produced the M1 sat and overlooked the famous Goodwood track, whilst at the same time it was admired from near and far by all those at attendance.
Directly beneath at ground level sat what is widely being dubbed as “The New Icon” was the latest 2022 BMW M4 GT3 ‘ready to race’ track car. Presented in the famous M colours there was no way you could miss this car, powered with a straight six 3.0L twinturbo engine and producing 590 bhp, it’s amazing wide presence was pulling in the crowds who eagerly wanted to get a glimpse of this stunning car.
The inside of the BMW M4 GT3 is as stunning as the outside with an FIA-approved BMW M safety seat and added ac as standard for the ultimate driving comfort. Drivers will be pleased to know that the steering wheel, pedals and center console are fully adjustable for maximum comfort and to help accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes.
The excitement doesn't end there, BMW developed the steering wheel with sim hardware producer FANATEC. The impressive steering wheel works both on a real car and a simulator in hope that the driver is able to optimise practice sessions in advance of hitting the track, its worth noting this is the first of its kind.
Getting your hands on the BMW M4 GT3 comes at a price tag of $530,000 and would require an additional $55,000 for the much desired Competition Package.
The M4 GT3 was brought in to replace the M6 GT3 and measures in at 5,020mm (197.6') in length and 2,040mm (80.3') in width compared to its predecessor, which measured at 4,975mm (195.86') in length and 2,046mm (80.55'). in width. The height of both cars are the same at 1,308mm (40.8'). One difference is the wheel size on the M4 GT3 is slightly smaller 12.5' x 18' (front), 13' x 18' (rear) vs 13' x 18' (front and rear) on the M6 GT3. In addition to this a straight-six cylinder engine has been reduced by 40kg in the M4 GT3, which provides better overall weight distribution.
The 'ready to race' track car deservedly sat amongst BMW M royalty at the center stage. Wrapped in M colour livery the M4 GT3 will surely be a museum piece in the future and will be a reminder of the technological advances BMW made on their 50 year anniversary of BMW M.
On the other side of the stage proudly stood a grey BMW E30 M3 in concourse condition, although considerably smaller in engine size and road presence, the E30 M3 is still considered to be amongst the favourite of the M cars and represents a time when cars were a lot simpler.
Powered by the famous S14 engine the E30 M3 is a critical part of BMW's history both on and off the track. Iconic in its own right the M3 will forever be cemented in the history books, and is a testament to the engineering of BMW at the time by being so far ahead of any competitor and bringing so much success to BMW.
From one legend to the next, not many cars are blessed to wear the "CSL" (Competition Sport Light) badge and to celebrate 50 years of M, BMW have created another iconic car the 'BMW M4 CSL', with an eye watering price tag of £129,000 and top speeds of 190mph, you may be asking yourself why the hefty price tag? The answer is simple, the engineers at BMW have created a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine and eight speed automatic gearbox producing 543bhp, which is a significant increase compared to a standard M4 or M3 Competition. In addition BMW claims 0-62mph in 3.7sec, 0-124mph in 10.7 sec, it also has completed a lap at Nurburgring in 7 mins 15.6 seconds - the fastest recorded for any M car. In our opinion based on what happened with the E46 M3 CSL, prices of the M4 CSL are likely to go only one way, this is certainly one for the collector with only 1000 units being built, and only 100 will reach the UK.
Making its global debut was the highly anticipated BMW M3 Touring, the self proclaimed baby of the Head of Development at BMW's M division (Dirk Hacker), this is a rather special car that many BMW enthusiasts have dreamed of BMW producing going as far back as the days of the E36. Offered in four-wheel drive only and powered with the same S58 engine, the M3 touring produces 503bhp and 0-62mph in under 4 seconds. It has already been crowned the 'quickest estate' car with a 7 minute 35 seconds lap at Nurburgring, only a few seconds slower than a regular M3. The car will be available from early 2023 and will be priced from £80,550 for a base model.
If the BMW M3 Touring and BMW M4 CSL, didn't excite you well the BMW M5 CS should. Production has been limited to 1000 units globally, this car has ticks a lot of the boxes for BMW M fans. BMW received a lot of criticism for the design of the front grill on their latest cars, however the driving experience on the BMW M5 CS has surpassed expectations and many seem to have forgiven BMW on the grill issue when it comes to the M5 CS.
Powered with a 4.4 litre V8 twin turbo engine and producing 627bhp - it has been dubbed the 'most powerful M car' to date. With an incredible 0-62mph in under 3 seconds and incredible handling the M5 CS has supercar speeds, but still allows you to have back seats and a boot. The BMW M5 CS has earned itself a rightful place in M history and will be priced at £140,000 for a base model.
It wasn't just the new cars BMW had on display - to celebrate 50 years of BMW M on the track they brought out some iconic classics.
The excited crowd eagerly awaited for a special display of BMW M cars and of the most famous cars the E30 M3 entertained the crowd with a breathtaking performance.
As part of the jubilee celebrations BMW released a special 50 year emblem that traces its roots back to BMW Motorsport in 1973. The logo is an adaptation of the traditional BMW logo, but with added semicircles in blue, violet and red. The blue is for BMW, the red is for motorsport and violet is a combination of both. BMW enthusiasts will be given the option to have this logo at the front, the rear and the wheel caps of their BMW.
The choice of colours (Blue, Violet and Red) would later become the slanted M colours that most people are familiar with today and is instantly recognisable with the BMW brand. The M sport badge on a BMW usually indicates it has some additional extras from M style styling to M sport suspension, all of which are designed with the purpose of a better and more sporty looking car than a standard model.
Celebrating 50 years of BMW M gives anybody involved in the car world a moment to appreciate the contribution BMW has made to Motorsport and the motoring world in general. There is no denying that BMW's passion for constantly building cars that continuously pushes the boundaries has helped both competitors and BMW in their pursuit of greatness .
On behalf of TGQ and motoring enthusiasts across the globe we thank BMW for 50 years of BMW M, and we look forward to seeing what the next 50 years brings! Stay tuned for our series of special upcoming articles on celebrating BMW M.
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