M’s the Word as BMW M Celebrates 50th Anniversary

By:
On:
In: Racing News
It’s not difficult to engage Bill Auberlen in any conversation, much less one about BMW. The 53-year-old Californian is about to embark on his 27th year as a BMW brand ambassador and factory driver, in his 36th season of IMSA racing.
 
So, news that BMW vehicles will be featured this week during Rolex 24 At Daytona activities as a kickoff to the worldwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of BMW M (the performance division of the legendary German automaker) was a perfect excuse for IMSA’s all-time winning driver to talk shop.
 
In addition to continuing as title sponsor of Friday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Daytona International Speedway, the BMW M Endurance Challenge (live on Peacock and IMSA Radio at 1:35 p.m. ET), BMW of North America is bringing some significant BMW M road cars to participate in prerace ceremonies and parade laps before the green flag. Cars on hand will range from a 1980 BMW M1 (the first M-badged car) to a fully electric 2022 BMW i4 M50. Three IMSA-winning BMWs – the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL, the 2015 BMW Z4 GTLM and the 2019 Rolex 24-winning BMW M8 GTE – will be on display in the Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition at the Daytona Fan Zone.
 
 
Sixth-generation BMW M3 and M4 road cars will serve as safety and pace cars for the four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge race.
 
Auberlen has racked up dozens of race wins and a fistful of championships, achieving the vast majority of success powered by BMW. He’ll pull double duty again this year with Turner Motorsport, piloting the new No 96 BMW M4 GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
 
He fully understands why the classic BMW tagline of “The Ultimate Driving Machine” introduced in the 1970s and used through the mid-2000s was well-deserved.
 
“When I was racing for Mazda, I bought a BMW 325i street car in a color I think they called ‘henna red,’” Auberlen said. “I was so proud of it. … That was my first awesome street car and I loved it.
 
“Then when I joined BMW to race, I realized I had been missing out on something,” he continued. “The moment I sat in the BMW E36 M3, those words ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ resonated with me and I understood exactly what those words meant. I’ve driven a lot of them now, whether M1s or CSLs or Z8s. There’s a common DNA you feel through handling and a great driving experience. And they’ve maintained that through every model.”
 
M Stands for ‘More’ when It Comes to BMW M
 
While even standard BMWs provide a more immersive driving experience than many cars, the upgrades from the M division – more power, enhanced roadholding and a host of luxury features – take it to an even higher level. Auberlen cited his current street car, an M8 Competition, as an example.
 
“It probably weighs twice as much as my first 325i,” he mused. “You’d think because it’s heavier that it would have less performance, but it’s just better in every single way by a million percent. You can’t imagine how good that car is. It is so fast and handles so well, puts the power down so good. I’ve had that car now for a year, and they always ask me if I want to switch or change or experience something new. But I’m so pleased with it that I just want the same car over and over. I love it so much.”
 
Auberlen raves about the memorable BMW racing cars he’s been associated with, including a fleet of priceless vintage racers with historic pedigree maintained by BMW Team RLL, which will field a pair of M4 GT3s in the WeatherTech Championship’s new GTD PRO class this season.
 
“The E36 M3 is where I came in with BMW, where we started our history and winning ways together, so that holds a place in my heart,” Auberlen said. “Then the E92 M3s were just a big leap forward in technology, power and drivetrain, with the paddle shift. The Z3 was just amazingly fun. You could do anything in that car and feel like a hero.
 
 
“But the best – and it only ran for one year in 2001 – was the M3 GTR with the V-8 motor,” he added. “We won Petit Le Mans with it (co-driving with Hans Stuck and Boris Said) in a stars-and-stripes livery. That was just all-out world domination. Every race it ran it won, and at the end of the year, it was outlawed. To drive a car that was so far ahead speed-wise was really, really fun.”
 
Auberlen is excited to show what the M4 GT3 can do in the Rolex 24 GT Daytona (GTD) class. He’ll share the car with Robby Foley, Michael Dinan and Jens Klingmann in the race that starts Saturday (1:30 p.m. on NBC network).
 
“All the technology that went into the GTLM class M8 that raced the last few years is in the GT3 M4, in a simpler format,” Auberlen said. “A mechanic can do everything from the dash to change all the maps. It makes for a super user-friendly, high-tech car. They have merged a lot of technology together in this one machine and it will be very interesting to see how it runs in Daytona.”
 
And just like BMW M, Auberlen has no plans of slowing down soon.
 
“The older I get, the more I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m 53, I’m loving it more than ever, and I can’t wait for the season to start. I’ll be a busy guy, and when I’m not racing, I’m off shaking hands and talking about BMWs and loving every single second of it.”
Speedway Digest Staff
Follow Me
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 94