Photo: BMW
Whereas rival Mercedes takes pride in a racing pedigree that stretches way back to the beginning of motorized competitions, the Bavarians from BMW have joined the segment a bit later.
The carmaker’s first turbo engine purposefully developed for this type of use saw daylight in 1969, which makes 2019 the year when BMW celebrates half a century of adrenaline-rushed, turbo-powered racing. In honor of this celebration, the carmaker released a shortlist of turbo engines it used in racing cars over the five decades that have passed since,
The powerplant that started it all is known internally as the M121. It was deployed on the BMW 2002 TI and raced, with all its 280 hp troop, in the European Touring Car Championship.
Nearly a decade later, in 1976, the M49/4 fitted on the BMW 3.0 CSL tried and failed to impress, despite the 750 hp available, during that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
One year later the 400 hp M12/12 was fitted onto the BMW 320 Group 5 for use in the German Racing Championship, followed by the 1,000 hp M88/2 used in 1979 on the BMW M1 Group 5.
Starting 1981 and until 1987, BMW got involved in Formula 1 together with Brabham. Their engine, M12/13 was used by driver Nelson Piquet to the land the Bavarians the first-ever Formula 1 win of a turbo power engine.
Its successor, the 1,400 hp M12/13/1, still is the most powerful Formula 1 engine ever made.
For a couple of decades, BMW stopped making turbo racing engines. They came back in 2011 with the P14 and P13 deployed on the MINI WRC and BMW 320TC WTCC for use in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
In 2016, the BMW M6 GT3 was fitted with the 585 hp P63, winning the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps twice.
One of the most recent additions to the range is the P63/1 currently in use on the BMW M8 GTE in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The youngest of all is the P48 used in the BMW M4 DTM.
The powerplant that started it all is known internally as the M121. It was deployed on the BMW 2002 TI and raced, with all its 280 hp troop, in the European Touring Car Championship.
Nearly a decade later, in 1976, the M49/4 fitted on the BMW 3.0 CSL tried and failed to impress, despite the 750 hp available, during that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
One year later the 400 hp M12/12 was fitted onto the BMW 320 Group 5 for use in the German Racing Championship, followed by the 1,000 hp M88/2 used in 1979 on the BMW M1 Group 5.
Starting 1981 and until 1987, BMW got involved in Formula 1 together with Brabham. Their engine, M12/13 was used by driver Nelson Piquet to the land the Bavarians the first-ever Formula 1 win of a turbo power engine.
Its successor, the 1,400 hp M12/13/1, still is the most powerful Formula 1 engine ever made.
For a couple of decades, BMW stopped making turbo racing engines. They came back in 2011 with the P14 and P13 deployed on the MINI WRC and BMW 320TC WTCC for use in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
In 2016, the BMW M6 GT3 was fitted with the 585 hp P63, winning the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps twice.
One of the most recent additions to the range is the P63/1 currently in use on the BMW M8 GTE in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The youngest of all is the P48 used in the BMW M4 DTM.
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