BMW’s 
M division was originally established in 1972 to oversee the company’s motorsports activities, but on-track success soon translated into customer demand. The 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL didn’t have an ‘M’ in its name, but as a homologation special, it was the first consumer products from the M division. It’s also the first car in this fantastic video that celebrates 40 years of M cars (1972-2012) in the best way possible, driving them on the Nürburgring .
People like to throw around the phrase “race car for the road,” but the 3.0 CSL was the genuine article. With an enlarged engine designed to compete in the over-3.0-liter class, and lightweight body panels, there was little that separated the class-winning cars at Le Mans from the ones available in the showroom. Its giant spoiler and wing over the rear window were so extreme that they weren’t legal on European roads, so BMW M stowed them in the trunk to be fitted at owners’ discretion.
BMW M cars have gotten a bit more road-friendly since then, but they definitely haven’t gotten slower, and this video features most of the more notable ones. The mid-engine M1 follows the 3.0 CSL, and everything from the E30 M3 and 2010 BMW M3 GTS E92 to the 2016 BMW M6 F12 is covered — all on the Nürburgring against the gorgeous backdrop of the Eifel Mountains, and with no goofy dubstep soundtrack.
2017 BMW M2 CSL
You can check our speculative review of the model here .