BMW M5 Production Ex Olivier Grouillard, 1986
BMW M5 I (E28)
BMW M5 I (E28)•
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Chassis No.: 5186384
Not Sold
The best performing M5 Production
Purchased directly from BMW France in 1987
Strictly original cosmetic condition, revised engine, incredible performance
Racing car
Chassis n° 5186384
The decade of the 1980s was a crazy period for the automotive industry. The need for speed pushed engineers to create overpowered monsters, for competition as well as for the road, two worlds intimately linked. Motor sports enchanted crowds every weekend, serving as a laboratory for manufacturers and becoming a marketing tool appreciated by sponsors. In 1985, motivated by important customers of the brand, BMW Motorsport’s boss, Jochen Neerpasch had a crazy idea: to borrow the 3,500 cc 6-cylinder from the M1 sports car to place it in the brand’s big sedan, the 5 Series.
Despite its appearance as a rather discreet vehicle, the M5 became the fastest sedan in the world when it came out, and went from 0 to 100 km/h faster than some Ferraris of the time. Entering it in competition was therefore an obvious choice. Seeing the popularity of major manufacturers involved in the French Production Championship and the commercial success that ensued, BMW France finally decided in the mid-1980s to enter an official team. The choice of the car was important: it had to reflect what BMW did best. The 1985 season was intended as the development year for this new car.
Two M5s were engaged by the semi-official team Écurie Benoît and entrusted to Marc Sourd and Pascal Fabre, before the arrival of a factory team the following season. Financed by Motul and Marlboro, with a chassis optimized by Auto Motor Sport and an engine prepared by Pipo Moteurs, the sedan was transfigured. Despite a slight increase in weight, it developed almost 200 hp more than the 528i Gr. A and had breathtaking performance. Despite starting the season at the back of the pack, the M5s gradually improved and even scored a one-two finish towards the end of the season in Nogaro, with Sourd and Fabre beating Jean-Louis Schlesser’s Rover Vitesse SD1 by a wide margin.
However, the final ranking did not live up to expectations, with the two Frenchmen finishing 9th and 10th.
The teachings of the 1985 season allowed BMW France to enter with confidence their first season as an official team. Still supported by Marlboro and Motul, three M5s are engaged and entrusted to Marc Sourd, Bernard Béguin and Olivier Grouillard. The inline-6 «M88» was still prepared by Pipo Moteurs, with a Kugel - fischer injection system and a power of 470 hp. The bodywork was substantially improved by BMW Motorsport, but the biggest change remained the chassis. BMW France entrusted its preparation to Oreca and Hugues de Chaunac, who moved many parts in the trunk to solve its tendency to light up the rear tires.
The transformations paid off and the sedan’s performance improved significantly. Olivier Grouillard was able to take advantage of this better than his teammates, winning at Nogaro and finishing 7th by the end of the season. The car featured in these pages is the one entrusted to the young prodigy and future F1 driver Olivier Grouillard, recognizable by its blue headlight covers. It was the highest performing of the five BMW M5 Production cars built and has only thirteen races to its credit, without ever having experienced the slightest accident. Retired from competition for the 1987 season in favor of the M3, it was sold by BMW France to its current owner on August 7, 1987.
A great collector of racing BMWs, he bought it along with Béguin’s M5, a hull crashed by Marc Sourd in 1985 and a large stock of parts, including two engines. Busy with other projects, he will only take care of this incredible factory M5 in 2012. Untouched and totally original, its bodywork is in the same condition as when it crossed the finish line of the Dijon-Prenois circuit on October 26, 1986. Even its tires are original! Restarted in 2012, the car will make a remarkable appearance on several historic events. A very complete test in Rétro Course of June 2012 traces its incredible history while underlining its indisputable authenticity.
A true racing beast, this BMW M5 Production represents a unique opportunity to acquire a car that has never left the expert hands of the factory and then of a meticulous collector who has been a fan of the brand for 35 years. In a booming market, there is no doubt that this is a car to buy now before the price skyrockets.
https://www.aguttes.com/lot/116225/ffbf73bf-ebb2-44d0-aaad-c526060e1ba8
