BMW continues to mark 50 years of M at Monterey Car Week 2022

MANILA: For Monterey Car Week 2022, BMW will bring its year-long celebration of 50 years of M to the California Central Coast.

The highly awaited, limited production M4 CSL as well as the new 2023 M8 Competition coupe, convertible, and Gran Coupe will all be on display throughout the week at BMW.

A selection of M's biggest hits from over the years, including the legendary 1973 3.0 CSL and the 493hp 2016 M4 GTS, will also be available, bridging the gap between the past and present.

The new BMW M4 CSL combines traditional racing fervor with cutting-edge technology to produce a one-of-a-kind performance experience. Its distinctive personality derives from its two main purpose statements: lighten up and power up. Genuine Motorsport chassis DNA works in concert with a boost in horsepower of 40 over the existing BMW M4 Competition to 543 horsepower and a weight reduction of 240 pounds, and the results speak for themselves.

The M4 CSL recorded a lap time of 7:20.2 at the Nordschleife circuit of the Nürburgring, which serves as the gold standard for agility and handling accuracy for all BMW M vehicles. This is the quickest lap time ever recorded by a BMW in series production.

Global production of the M4 CSL began in July and is limited to just 1,000 units, with a US base price of US$139,900 plus US$995 destination and handling. The new M4 CSL can also be seen in action at the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion Hillclimb event on Sunday, August 21.

The fierce BMW M8 gets small but significant improvements for the 2023 model year. The M8 coupe, convertible, and Gran Coupe now come exclusively in 617-hp Competition version and get new double-bar kidney grilles, larger 12.3-inch central control display screens, new colors and trims both inside and out, and track-ready optional M Carbon bucket seats. The 2023 BMW M8 Competition is on sale now.

Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will feature a celebration of the 24 Hours of Le Mans' 100th anniversary. There will be a remarkable collection of vintage racing vehicles on the circuit, all of which have competed at the illustrious Circuit de la Sarthe since 1923.

The 1975 3.0 CSL Group 4 "Batmobile," which was the first automobile produced by BMW Motorsport, will represent the company in Group 8 (1972–1982). Under the direction of team manager Jochen Neerpasch, the 3.0 CSL was envisioned as the first homologation special created for the recently established BMW Motorsport GmbH factory racing effort.

It raced with the now-iconic M tricolor stripe design and is largely regarded as the first BMW M product, although not having a M badge. The 3.0 CSL was a dominant force in international endurance racing during the 1970s, taking home overall victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It also scored six titles in the European Touring Car Championship between 1973 and 1979. (1973, 1974, and 1977).

The 1981 IMSA M1 Group 4 will also compete in Group 8. When M CEO Jochen Neerpasch declared his ambition to compete against Porsche in Group 5 sports car racing with a vehicle made particularly for competition, the BMW M1 was born. In 1979, the M1 made its debut at Le Mans. The race car's distinctive paint finish was applied by American artist Andy Warhol minutes before the race was set to start.

Drivers Herve Poulain, Marcel Mignot, and Manfred Winkelhock finished sixth in a rain-soaked effort that would be the M1’s best finish at Le Mans.

Fans will be treated to the unmistakable shriek of a pair of BMW racing V12s in Group 10 (1981-2005 Le Mans Prototypes). The McLaren F1 was the world's fastest and most costly production road car in 1994. In order to create a motor fit for his project, designer Gordon Murray turned to BMW, and BMW Motorsport answered with a 6.0-liter V12 producing over 630hp.

The F1 GTR, the racing version, wasn't all that different from the road car. A big, movable rear wing and more air intakes were the only body modifications. A competition roll cage was added after the inside was completely gutted. In racing configuration, the potent BMW 6.0-liter V12 actually had to be limited to 592 horsepower, and the road car's transmission was even kept. The outcomes were astounding. At the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, an F1 GTR not only won the race outright but also finished third, fourth, and fifth.

The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans field was to be challenged by the BMW V12 LMR, which was jointly developed with Formula 1 partner Williams F1. The LMR made its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 1999 and is currently on the circuit at the Reunion.

The car, driven by Tom Kristensen, JJ Lehto, and Jorg Muller, won the race with the smallest margin ever recorded at the time (9.2 seconds) between first and second. When the crew came at the 24 Hours of Le Mans later that year, the victory at Sebring gave them inspiration.

Meanwhile, the Monterey Car Week's Legends of the Autobahn will bring the BMW Car Club of America to the stunning Pacific Grove Golf Links. BMW will have a show there highlighting the cars pushing BMW M into the next generation: the thrilling M4 CSL, the potent M8 Competition coupe, and the entirely electric i4 M50 and iX M60. Over 300 vintage and contemporary BMWs are anticipated to be on display.

Photos from BMW

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