BMW Advert 1986 - 635CSi, M6, E9 3.0 CSL, M1 - 'The latest in a short line of supercars...'

Another great advert from BMW, this time from 1986, promoting the benefits of their tuned straight-six power plants and their innovative (for the time!) use of four valves per cylinder. 24-valves were first seen in the E9 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile' in 1974, again in the M1 supercar in 1977 and finally making its way to the general consumer in the 1986 635CSi model E24 6er. 

As BMW discovered years ago, when you need extra power from an engine - on the race track for instance - just double the valves per cylinder.

The extra valves mean the the cylinders can take in more air and fuel on each stroke, burn it more efficiently and expel it quicker. So much so that 6 cylinders with 4 valves can produce more power than 12 cylinder with 2.

Take the three cars above, developed by BMW Motorsport.

The 3.5 litre CSL, affectionately known as the Batmobile, won the first of many races at the Saltzburgring in 1974, beating a 7 litre Camaro in the process.

A 192 mph version of the M1 won its class at Le Mans for the last 3 years. (At the Nurburgring in 1981 it won the race outright.)

The M635CSi, however, is merely a luxury road going coupe. Although it's capable of 158mph, it hasn't won a thing.

Except praise.

BMWs at Tatton Hall Classic Car Show 2012

For the full story on Tatton Hall Classic Car show 2012 and over 120 pics go here: Tatton Hall Park Classic Car Show 2012 [on my other blog: http://retrorunabouts.blogspot.co.uk/]

The BMW UK Owners Club had a mighty big stand celebrating the Queen's silver Jubilee, with all manner of classic M cars and the brand new M6.

Alpina B5 Turbo E28 5-series was superbad and superclean in black.

 AC Schnitzer sorted E46 M3.

E30 M3, a genuine left-hand-drive article.

Tidy E30 325i with Alpina wheels parked up amongst the Ford RS owners club.

Some of the best BMWs were away from the OC stands, including this pristine green 2002 I found tucked away behind a load of Volkswagens.

The condition of even the finest chrome work is absolutely concourse, the paint and wheels original.

 It could be said that the 2002 has seen better days, but the owners proudly display a picture of them driving the car from new in the early '70s and it looks in a shabbier state then.

 Grilles and bumper chrome work all look exactly as if they've just rolled out of the Black Forest.

A little stand previously hidden by the busy food stalls revealed a couple of sweet 635 CSi...

 ...and this luminous yellow 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile' race car, which was one of my favourite cars of the show.

I was being optimistic by hoping to see a standard 3.0 CSL at the show and was not disappointed because thats what this is. The car started life as a regular CSL before being bought as a wreck by the current owners and rebuilt to exact 'Batmobile' spec.

The level of detail to the aero-body is so good that the car can't really be called a replica - it's more of an upgrade.

415 wide rear tyres - like a Lamborghini Countach or Bugatti Veyron.