#114 BMW 4-cylinder engines – part II

Published March 7 2026 | Last update March 7, 2026 | 21 models in collection


When engines are fast and reliable in competitive series such as the DRM, they can be used in other cars also.

1973 Fuji 300 km, March 73S-BMW
Nowadays the Super GT Championship is leading, but Japan has a great history of sports car championships; the Fuji Long Distance Series, the Japanese Sportscar Prototype Championship and the Fuji Grand Champion Series. The last one was the most important in the period 1970 – 1977. Motoharu Kurosawa was the champion in 1973 with this European car, a March 73S with 4-cylinder BMW engine.
Team Kurosawa #5: Motoharu Kurosawa (J)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time 1:44,250 / race 1st – 50 laps / championship 1st also
March 73S – Fuji Grand Championship Series Group 6 < 2-liter: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12/7, approx. 290 hp. Bridgestone tires . Weight 640 kg. Aluminium monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • EBBRO Racing History 45001 (resin)

1974 Fuji 250 km, March 73S-BMW
The sportswear championships in Japan were dominated by European cars and engines in the first half of the 1970’s. March S73 and S74 with BMW engines, Chevron B23 and B26 with Ford BDA or BMW engines and Ford powered Lola T290 / T292 set the pace, all driven by Japanese drivers.Yojiro Terada in a Mazda powered Sigma was the only exception with a local built car and engine.
Team Kurosawa #2: Masahiro Hasemi (J)
Results: Start-grid 1st / time unknown / race 1st – 35 laps / championship 1st also
March 73S – Fuji Grand Championship Series Group 6 < 2-liter: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12/7, approx. 290 hp. Bridgestone tires . Weight 640 kg. Aluminium monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • EBBRO Racing History 45007 (resin)

1977 Le Mans 24h, Sauber C5-BMW
Swiss Peter Sauber constructed his own sportscars. The first car that brought him some international success was the C5 with which Herbert Müller won some races in 1976. Francy Racing with an entire Swiss driver line-up entered this C5 at Le Mans, it had to retire when the BMW engine suffered an oil leak.
Francy Racing #21: Eugen Strähl (CH) / Peter Bernhard (CH)
Results: Start-grid 30th / time u 4:13,20 / race DNF oil leak – 161 laps
Sauber C5 – Group 6 < 2-liter: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12/7, approx. 300 hp. Bridgestone tires . Weight 630 kg. Aluminium monocoque, chassisnr. #001

  • BIZARRE BZ436 (resin)

1979 European F2 Championship Hockenheim, March 792
Markus Höttinger was a young talent from Austria. He excelled in the hard-to-drive turbo BMW in the DRM and also drove in the famous BMW M1 Procar Series. With support of BMW, he entered this Jägermeister March in a number of Formula 2 races in 1979. His best result was 7th which he achieved in three races, one of them being the round in Hockenheim. Unfortunately, Höttinger would die in the 1980 round at Hockenheim.
Jägermeister Racing Team #26: Markus Höttinger (A)
Results: race 7th – 40 laps
March 792 – Formula 2: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW M12/7 – Straight 4, approx. 310 hp. Goodyear tires. Aluminium monocoque, chassisnr. March 792 #unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC400 790026 (diecast)

  • SPARK S2571 (resin)

  • SPARK Raceland Gold RS1270 #179 / 350 pcs (resin)

1987 DTM Norisring, BMW M3. E30
Olaf Manthey managed to score one win in 1987 in the very competitive DTM championship. With his Isert BMW, he won the prestigious race at the Norisring where he managed to secure a 10 second lead over the battling pack behind him.
BMW Isert #24: Olaf Manthey (D)
Results: Start-grid 5th / time 0:59.230 / race 1st – 44 laps
BMW M3 (E30) – Group A: Powered by 2.3 liter BMW S14B23 straight-4, approx. 300 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 960 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E30 #unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC 430 872024 (diecast)

1987 Macau Guia Race, BMW M3 E30
Team Schnitzer was again present in the prestigious Guia race at the Macau street circuit. Roberto Ravaglia took victory ahead of his team mates veteran Dieter Quester and Frenchman Fabien Giroix. They finished within 3 seconds of each other, the first competitor was over 2 minutes behind.
BMW M Team Schnitzer #3: Roberto Ravaglia (I)
Results: Start-grid 1st/ time unknown / race 1st – 25 laps
BMW M3 (E30) – Group A: Powered by 2.3 liter BMW S14B23 straight-4, approx. 300 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 960 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E30 #unknown

  • IXO MGPC 005C limited 499 pcs (diecast)

  • MINICHAMPS MC430 882039 (diecast)

  • IXO Hekorsa HE 033D (diecast)

1990 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW M3 evo
Again the race went on between BMW and Ford in this non-championship race. The Schnitzer BMWs again were the quickest but only just. The #24 BMW finished 2nd just over a minute behind the winning #25 and the fastest Sierra Cosworth was 3rd, still in the same lap as the winner.
BMW M Team Schnitzer #25: Johnny Cecotto (VEN / Markus Oestreich (D / Fabien Giroix (F) – 1st
Results: Start-grid 4th / time 2:35.730 / race 1st – 468 laps
BMW M3 evo – Group A: Powered by 2.5 liter BMW S14B25 straight-4, approx. 350 hp. Yokohama tires. Weight 950 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E30 #unknown

  • MINICHAMPS 2004 (diecast)

  • AUTO ART 69145 (diecast)

1991 DTM Championship, BMW M3 evo
Dutch touring car champ Cor Euser entered the heavily fought DTM championship with his privately prepared M3 evo. However, Cor is a top driver with a long list of successes, he had no chance against the factory supported teams that had a far more advanced racing braking system and he remained pointless. Audi won the championship with their mighty V8 Quattro.
Carly Motors #42: Cor Euser (NL)
Results: no points
BMW M3 evo – DTM: Powered by 2.5 liter BMW S14B25 straight-4, approx. 350 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 950 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.

  • AUTO ART 69147 (diecast)

  • SPARK SB069 #322 / 750 pcs (resin)

1993 DTM Championship Norisring, BMW 325i E36 coupé
In 1993 new DTM rules were introduced with high revving 2.5 liter 6-cylinder engines. Opel and Alfa Romeo could homologate V6 engines that lay far behind the front axle of the car. BMW was represented by Linder, a privateer team that had to choose between a straight 6-cylinder that was longer and higher than the V6’s or make use of the well-known E30 4-cylinder that couldn’t deliver the power that the V6’s could. Linder chose the second option and Armin Hahne competed in a number of races until Linder gave up the unequal fight.
Jägermeister Linder Team #9: Armin Hahne (D)
Results: Start-grid 11th / time 0:54.12 / race DNF fuel leak – 26 laps
BMW 325i Coupé – DTM Class 1: Powered by 2.5 liter BMW S14B25 straight-4, approx. 370 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1040 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. #unknown

  • SPARK Raceland Specials RS1716 #268 / 500 pcs (resin)

1995 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 320iS E36
The Spa 24 hour race was at a low in the mid 90’s. It was a non-championship race with merely locals driving around in their near standard cars. Luckily a few teams entered Super Touringcars, among them BMW. The Schnitzer prepared BMW 320iS won the race, 9 laps ahead of the Bigazzi team BMW. The 3rd placed car, a Honda Accord, was no less than 30 laps (!) behind.
BMW Fina Bastos Team #8: Peter Kox (NL) / Joachim Winkelhock (D) / Steve Soper (GB)
Results: Start-grid 3rd / time 2:32.970 / race 1st – 518 laps
BMW 320iS – Super Touring cars: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW S14B20 straight-4, approx. 260 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1000 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E36 STC 95/012

  • MINICHAMPS BMW 80 42 9 421 113 (diecast)

1998 STW Championship, Isert BMW 320i E36
The super touring cars were a very popular series in the 2nd part of the 90’s. The German championship was won by Johnny Cecotto in a works BMW 320i. This privately entered Isert car with Prinz Leopold von Bayern finished only 23rd in the championship. 
BMW Team Isert #25: Prinz Leopold von Bayern (D)
Results: 23rd championship
BMW 320i – German Super Touring cars: Powered by BMW M12/7 straight-4, approx. 260 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1000 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E36 #unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC430 982625 (diecast)

2005 World Touring Car Championship, BMW 320 Si
The European Touring Car Championship had begun a real revival under the super touring car regulations. No more endurance races, the format with two sprint races on one day was a hit. The European championship transformed in a FIA World championship this year. Not that it changed much; Andy Priaulx again took the title in from of his BMW colleague Dirk Müller. Priaulx only won one heat this year, but drove very strategically and scored points in all heats but one.
BMW Great Britain / RBM #1: Andy Priaulx (GB)
Results: 1 x 1st / 1st championship
BMW 320 Si – World Touring Car Championship Super Touring Cars: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW straight-4, approx. 270 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E46 unknown

  • MINICHAMPS  MC 400 052401 limited 1632 pcs (diecast)

2005 World Touring Car Championship, BMW 320 Si
The European Touring Car Championship had begun a real revival under the super touring car regulations. No more endurance races, the format with two sprint races on one day was a hit. The European championship transformed in a FIA World championship this year. One of the drivers in the independents trophy was Italian Stefano d’Aste. He finished in the points only once in the entire season, but that was a good one with 2nd place in the rain at Spa-Francorchamps.
Proteam Motorsport #30: Stefano d’Aste (I)
Results: 2nd at Spa-Francorchamps
BMW 320 Si – World Touring Car Championship Super Touring Cars: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW straight-4, approx. 270 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E46 unknown

  • SPARK S0429 (resin)

2006 World Touring Car Championship, BMW 320 Si
The European championship transformed in a FIA World championship last year. Again were the winners Andy Priaulx and BMW, this year with the new E90. By constant driving Priaulx took his 3rd title in a row, this year only one point ahead of his BMW colleague Jörg Müller.
BMW Great Britain / RBM #1: Andy Priaulx (GB)
Results: 5 x 1st / 1st championship
BMW 320 Si – World Touring Car Championship Super Touring Cars: Powered by 2.0 liter BMW straight-4, approx. 270 hp. Yokohama Advan tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E90 unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC 400 062601 limited 1440 pcs (diecast)

2013 World Touring Car Championship, BMW 320 tc
The world championship touring cars exists in its current format since 2005. Dutchman Tom Coronel participated in all heats, and managed to win the 200th heat at Suzuka. Quit a performance when you realise that his BMW is already many years old and should be no match for the Chevrolet and Honda. Earlier this season Tom also took victory in the second heat at the Hungaroring. In the end he finishes 10th in the championship.
ROAL Motorsport #15: Tom Coronel (NL)
Results: 2 x 1st / 10th championship
BMW 320 tc – World Touring Car Championship Super Touring Cars: Powered by 1.6 liter BMW straight-4 turbo, approx. 300 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1140 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. BMW E90 unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC 400 062601 adapted (diecast)

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