TOP 10 BMW MOTORSPORT MACHINES
10 F1.08
After its semi-successful relationship with Williams soured, BMW bought Sauber to continue its F1 quest. BMW Sauber went from finishing fifth in 2006 to third in the 2008 standings, via an inherited second following McLaren’s exclusion in 2007.
The 2008 F1.08, which technical director Willy Rampf described as “an aggressive development”, arguably should have achieved more than its famous 1-2 at the Canadian Grand Prix. After that win in round seven of 18, Robert Kubica led the drivers’ standings and the team was only three points behind leader Ferrari.
But thereafter BMW’s developments didn’t bring the expected gains and it slipped further behind Ferrari and McLaren. The team switched its focus to the new F1 rules for 2009 as soon as possible, a gamble that failed – the F1.08 remained BMW’s high point before it sold the team.
9 M1
The Group 4 M1 had limited success in international sportscar racing, for which it was conceived, but it makes this list because of its role in motorsport’s greatest one-make series.
The Procar Championship supported selected F1 events in 1979 and 1980, with perhaps its best element being that the top five drivers (team and tyre contracts permitting) from that weekend’s Friday F1 practice joined the regular cast.
The 450bhp six-cylinder, mid-engined supercar provided some spectacular action and an impressive list of winners that was almost exclusively full of F1 or sportscar frontrunners. It’s two champions were Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet…
There were decent moments in endurance events. Herve Poulain, Manfred Winkelhock and Marcel Mignot took the Andy Warhol-liveried Art Car to
