MUNICH’S MOTHERSHIPS

507

Flagship sports models don’t come more elegant than the 3.2-litre 507. BMW lost money on every one of the 252 built, but Albrecht Graf Goertz’s sleek shape attracted buyers like Elvis, Ursula Andress and Prince Rainier of Monaco.

M1

A case study in disastrous development, the M1 was conceived for a race series that was cancelled before the M1 turned a wheel in anger. Nevertheless, it’s latterly perceived as one of the 70s’ finest supercars, with commensurate pricing.

Z8

Like the M1, the Z8 was a range-topper that didn’t set the world alight upon launch, but which is belatedly in big demand. A beautiful, high-concept, rear-drive roadster with the 294kw V8 powerplant of an E39 M5? What’s not to like?

M8

And here’s one that got away. The stillborn M8 (1989) was built around a 6061cc V12 good for a priapic 410kw and featured a riot of carbon, Kevlar and Alcantara trick bits. Little wonder the project was canned on cost grounds.