A unique mid-engined BMW M1 Coupe will soon go under the hammer with mere 36,600 kilometers (22,742 miles) on the counter since 1980. The reason? It had been abandoned for 20 years.
The first owner of the supercar drove it in California in the 1980s and 90s, but abandoned it in a garage afterwards. The coupe has since been discovered and prepared for sale. Its original blue paint was gone when the owner decided he liked white more. The black interior with its combination upholstery looks like new after careful restoration. The OEM toolbox and a first aid kit come bundled with the car. Prices are not public.
Powering the rare M1 is a 3.5-liter inline-six engine good for 277 PS (273 hp / 204 kW) and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft) of torque. Mated to a five-speed manual transmission, it took the RWD coupe from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds and up to 260 km/h (161 miles per hour).
BMW had originally intended to use the M1 series as a homologation model for FIA Group 4 together with Lamborghini, but the Italian company broke off from the partnership agreement, leaving the Bavarian automaker with an unfinished production batch. A total of 456 M1s rolled off the lines, including 46 racecars and 399 road-legal ones.