Too bad it’s illegal to drive in California.
The BMW M1, the now-discontinued ancestor of the BMW i8, is a rare and unique car. But some examples are more special than others. Paul Walker’s is one of them. Last month, we found out the M1 once owned by the actor and gearhead, who tragically perished with his friend and business partner Roger Rodas in a car crash back in November 2013, was up for sale on Bring A Trailer. At the time of that writing, the highest bid reached $350,000 but, as we expected, the final price tag was significantly higher.
The winning bid is now official: $500,000. Walker’s past ownership is certainly not the only reason why this particular M1 took in half a million bucks. It was just one of ten examples modified by BMW dealer AHG.
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Its Studie package includes a Procar-style body kit with flared fenders, three-piece BBS wheels, custom BMW Motorsport livery, different exhaust, and a full leather interior in place of the original half-leather, half-fabric. The mid-engine supercar’s 3.5-liter inline-six also received a 75 horsepower increase from the original 277 hp. Power is directed to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual. BMW claims a top speed of 162 mph and a total weight of 2,866 pounds, in stock form.
Unfortunately, the listing notes the car does not meet California’s strict emissions standards and therefore is illegal in the state. Walker acquired the car in 2011 as part of his AE Performance collection.
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Many of those vehicles have also since gone to auction and sold for significant sums. We doubt the buyer cared much about the M1’s minor wear and tear, which is to be expected for any vehicle that’s over 40 years old and has 42,000 miles on its clock.
The new owner’s identity, who goes by the name “cmack10” on the auction site, remains unknown. Let’s just hope the car doesn’t disappear forever into a private collection, never to be driven. Walker and Rodas didn’t own the car for long, but chances are they each took it for a spin more than once.
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