BMW celebrated its motorsport heritage at the inaugural Le Mans Classic Legend, where historic race cars, iconic competition machines, and modern performance concepts shared the spotlight at Circuit de la Sarthe. Held from July 2 to 5, the event highlighted BMW’s racing history from multiple eras while serving as the manufacturer’s official partnership debut for the new format.
Le Mans Classic Introduces a New Format
Three weeks after the conclusion of the modern 24 Hours of Le Mans, where BMW M Team WRT secured a Hypercar podium finish, Circuit de la Sarthe welcomed competitors and enthusiasts for Le Mans Classic Legend.
Le Mans Classic has traditionally been held every other July since 2002. Beginning this year, Peter Auto and the ACO divided the event into two alternating editions. Le Mans Classic Heritage will feature cars that raced before 1975 during odd-numbered years, while Le Mans Classic Legend will focus on race cars from the turbo era through 2015 in even-numbered years.
BMW served as the official partner for the inaugural Legend event.
BMW Display Combined Modern Technology With Historic Race Cars
BMW’s official exhibit featured the M Concept Neue Klasse, four-door M3 CS Touring models, racing simulators, and a lifestyle shop.
Elsewhere throughout the paddock and the Artcurial auction area, privately owned historic BMW race cars illustrated more than three decades of the brand’s competition history, with many preserved by their owners in original or restored condition.
1986 BMW M5 Works Car Returns to the Spotlight
One of the standout vehicles was chassis 35863173, a 1986 BMW M5 originally built for the French Production Championship.
After campaigning the M535i in the previous season, BMW France entered the 1986 championship with three factory-backed M5s prepared by Oreca. The team relocated the fuel tanks, oil tanks, and pumps toward the rear to improve weight distribution. BMW Motorsport supplied a reinforced body shell featuring polyester body panels except for the steel front left door, while Pipo Moteurs developed the M88 inline-six engine with Kugelfischer injection to produce approximately 470 horsepower. The engine belonged to the same family used in the BMW M1.
Marc Sourd, Bernard Béguin, and Olivier Grouillard drove the three cars during the season. Grouillard’s M5 opened the championship with a victory at Nogaro, its only win of the year, before finishing the season inside the top seven in points.
The car has not competed since the end of the 1986 season. According to the event display, it remained cosmetically untouched with what was reported to be its original paint before undergoing a mechanical restoration that revived the drivetrain without altering its appearance.
Its appearance during the event coincided with BMW’s celebration of the M3’s 40th anniversary. The E30 M3 debuted in the same year that the M5 claimed its victory at Nogaro under the BMW France banner.
McLaren F1 GTR Highlights BMW Engine Partnership
Le Mans Classic Legend also honored Gordon Murray, with a tribute centered on the McLaren F1 and its BMW-powered racing success.
The McLaren F1 GTR, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright on its first attempt in 1995, competed throughout its racing career with BMW’s naturally aspirated S70/2 V12 engine.
A road-going McLaren F1 remained on display in the paddock, while two F1 GTR race cars wearing Cesar and Fina liveries competed in Grid Eight’s 1994-1999 field. A third GTR appeared in a Lark livery as a parade entry, displaying BMW Motorsport roof graphics alongside the colors used on the factory-backed 1996 All-Japan GT Championship cars.
M Concept Neue Klasse Returns to Le Mans
BMW also continued showcasing the M Concept Neue Klasse following its Le Mans debut.
The concept previews the styling direction of the upcoming electric M3, internally designated ZA0, which is expected to arrive in showrooms in 2027 alongside a Touring variant one year later. The vehicle appeared in Monza Red and featured yellow accent lighting that BMW says will become a recurring M design signature inspired by its GT race cars.
Historic BMW Race Cars Fill the Grids
Grid Six, featuring GT cars from 1975 through 1984, included the BMW 3.0 CSL alongside Porsche 934, Porsche 935, and Ferrari 512 BB LM race cars.
Nearby, a 1975 BMW 3.0 CS was displayed in the club paddock, while a BMW club parade featured E9, E24, E31, M1, Z3, and Z4 models. Among them was a 6 Series carrying Hartge badging, representing the Bavarian tuner known during the 1980s for producing enhanced versions of the 635CSi.
An M1 Procar wearing an Alpina-associated livery from the 1979 Procar season also took to the track. The one-make championship had been created after the M1 lost its homologation window for Group 5 racing.
Another notable participant was a 1980 Osella PA8 prototype. Although built in Italy, the Group 6 race car was commonly powered by BMW’s M12/7 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, derived from the company’s Formula 2 program and tuned to approximately 300 horsepower with a 9,200-rpm redline. Osella produced thirteen PA8 chassis for Group 6 and the World Sportscar Championship’s 2-liter class during the early 1980s.
BMW Z4 GT3 Competes in GT3 Revival Series
The newest BMW race car on track was a BMW Z4 GT3 competing in the GT3 Revival Series, a support race featuring GT3 homologations that have since expired.
The series fielded 41 cars across three classes, adding a modern chapter to BMW’s extensive presence throughout the inaugural Le Mans Classic Legend weekend.
From preserved factory race cars and McLaren’s BMW-powered Le Mans winners to modern concept vehicles and GT3 competition, BMW used the first Le Mans Classic Legend to showcase multiple generations of its motorsport history at Circuit de la Sarthe.
