<< Prev Page 2 of 2 The Group 5 BMW 320 continued to be raced with considerable success both in naturally aspirated and turbocharged guises into the 1978 season. In the United States, the works supported McLaren North America cars won several races but the sheer number of Porsche 935s alone made their task very difficult. The two-litre class of the DRM series was absolutely dominated by the 320 in 1978 with several of BMW customers using a Schnitzer developed turbocharged engine as well. The ultimate development was a further lightened car of which just a handful were built in 1978.
The introduction of Group C racing brought an end to Group 5 and the successful career of the BMW 320. In its various guises, the small BMW had won numerous races but ultimately failed to be a season-long contender against the much larger engined Porsche. Among the drivers that raced these cars were the likes of Gilles Villeneuve, Eddie Cheever, David Hobs, Ronnie Peterson and Hans Joachim Stück. Perhaps its biggest contribution to BMW's motorsport history is that the lessons learned creating the turbo engines would go on to prove invaluable by creating the M12-based Formula 1 engines of the 1980s.
It is believed that around 28 examples of all version were produced by BMW Motorsport, some of which were supplied to customers as kits. Heavily raced for several seasons, relatively few have survived and these are highly sought after today. So much so that several enthusiasts have gone and created clone or replica versions of these spectacular racing cars. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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The Group 5 BMW 320 continued to be raced with considerable success both in naturally aspirated and turbocharged guises into the 1978 season. In the United States, the works supported McLaren North America cars won several races but the sheer number of Porsche 935s alone made their task very difficult. The two-litre class of the DRM series was absolutely dominated by the 320 in 1978 with several of BMW customers using a Schnitzer developed turbocharged engine as well. The ultimate development was a further lightened car of which just a handful were built in 1978.