2008 seems to be the year of the BMW M1. Not only have we witnessed an amazing concept hinting at the revival of the mid-engine sports coupe, but BMW's also planning to revive the M1 Procar series at this weekend's German Grand Prix.
Introduced in 1979, the Procar series was BMW's last-ditch attempt at campaigning the M1 in motorsports. Although the car had been developed for Group 4 racing, FIA rules mandated that 400 road cars be built across a two-year span. By 1978, production delays at Lamborghini, originally contracted to build the M1, made such a feat impossible (roughly 400 cars were built in three years by a different supplier). In order to actually use the cars, BMW, with the help of Formula One chairs Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, crafted the M1-exlusive series.
The Procar events became a preamble to Formula One events across the world. The five fastest drivers on a Friday practice qualified for a seat in an M1, while fifteen other cars were piloted by up-and-coming drivers. Although early critics dismissed the series as a flash in the pan, a number of fans remain loyal to the M1 and the Procar events, spurring BMW to create this revival.
Although original race-spec M1s will take to the Hockenheim circuit this weekend, the driver mix will be slightly more eclectic. The field includes BMW test driver Marc Surer, Prince Leopold of Bavaria, as well as F1 legends Jacques Laffite, Dieter Ouster, Christian Danner and Harold Grohs. Even the father of the M1 - Jochen Neerpasch himself - is expected to take the wheel of his creation.