BMW only built around 6300 1M units worldwide and every one of the has been just as special. But among them, there is one that trumps them all: The BMW 1M Safety Car. Built as an official MotoGP safety car, the special 1M Coupe came with a racing livery, a carbon fiber-reinforced bonnet featuring additional large air vents, as well as polycarbonate side and rear windows. A special Akrapovic lightweight titanium race exhaust system not only saved weight but also delivered a captivating sound.
Complementing the discreet spoiler lip on the boot lid there was an adjustable rear wing to provide the requisite downforce. On the 1M Safety Car, the aerodynamically honed front apron with its precisely defined air ducting, including Air Curtains, featured an additional splitter integrated on the underside of the apron.
Inside, a rollover cage was bolted behind the B-pillar, there was a lack of rear seats, two racing bucket seats with 6-point safety belts, an M steering wheel in Alcantara and a fire extinguisher rounded up the racing look of the car.
The suspension technology of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe was specially adapted for the Safety Car. Its high-performance suspension system boasted an adjustable race track set-up that includes a sports-tuned chassis in which the dampers are independently adjustable for bump and rebound. Vehicle height is variably selectable and the camber of the front and rear axle can be altered to suit the circuit topography.
It’s unknown what happened to the 1M Safety Car after being retired from the MotoGP championship, but wherever it ended up, it will certainly hold a special place.
