In celebration of the 50th anniversary of BMW Motorsport, the BMW CCA Foundation will present “The Power of M” at The Ultimate Driving Museum in Greer, South Carolina, a dynamic and historic display that will open to the public on May 16.
The exhibit will feature 25 cars and one motorcycle from throughout BMW Motorsport’s history, including significant racecars and their roadgoing counterparts from BMW M.
The list of significant BMWs in The Power of M display includes:
• The 3.0 CSL “Batmobile,” the first car developed by the newly-formed BMW Motorsport as a homologation special for racing in the European Touring Car Championship, and a very early racing CSL, campaigned to a series of victories by the Dutch National Team.
• A roadgoing M1, the first M-badged car ever built by BMW Motorsport, along with an original 1979 M1 Procar.
• A rare Johnny Cecotto special edition of the roadgoing E30 M3 alongside an ex-Steve Soper M3 with a significant history in DTM racing, and an exclusive E36 M3 Lightweight paired with an E36 M3 raced to victory by Team PTG in the American Le Mans Series.
• Five generations of M5s, from the original E28 M5 through the F10.
• A pre-production 1 Series M Coupe, a rare Lime Rock Edition E92 M3, and a not-for-U.S. E90 M3 CRT.
• An ex-Team RLL Daytona 24-Hour-winning M8 GTE, as campaigned in IMSA.
• Although not technically an M car, the Motorsport-developed 2002 turbo, along with a Euro-spec M635CSi.
• BMW’s 100-year tradition of race-winning sport motorcycles, represented by the M 1000 RR Superbike built by BMW Motorrad in the first collaboration with BMW Motorsport.
On display will be the 3.0 CSL No. 2211352, believed to be the first CSL entered in a race as such. The Dutch National Racing Team campaigned it with great success from 1972-75. (photo by Klaus Schnitzer)
Also on display will be the E46 M3 CSL, one of only a handful of CSLs in the U.S. It features a raft of special parts, including sophisticated aerodynamics. Many of those parts were crafted in carbon fiber at BMW’s F1 facility in Landshut, Bavaria, helping the CSL shed 250 pounds of weight compared to a standard E46 M3. (photo by Klaus Schnitzer)
The Power of M will include informative displays throughout, telling the history of the cars and BMW M in words and photos.
The exhibit will also be commemorated with a lavishly produced book that features the authoritative history of each car and the M brand/BMW Motorsport, with text by Jackie Jouret alongside new photography by Klaus Schnitzer and archival photos. The books will be sold through the BMW CCA Foundation Store as well as Amazon.
Open to the public from May 16 through January 2023, The Power of M: Celebrating 50 Years will be the fifth major exhibit staged by the BMW CCA Foundation.
For more information visit bmwccafoundation.org
