Daily Archives: October 15, 2019
Rare 1976 BMW 530 Motorsport Limited Edition Restored
The 1976 BMW 530 Motorsport Limited Edition (MLE) is a very rare car, and only a handful of it is known to have survived the test of time. One unit was found in South Africa under a rough shape, but thanks to a painstaking restoration process, it has reclaimed its former glory.
The 530 MLE is a homologation special under the E12 generation series of BMW. Although the first M1 came out two years after the 530 MLE’s initial production run, the 530 MLE is considered as the first unofficial BMW M car.
Looking at the history books of the brand, only 110 units of Type 1 530 MLE were made in 1976 under South Africa’s Production Series. The company was required to sell at least 100 units of the auto that time but it went on to sell 10 more due to high market demand. The Type 2 variant came out in 1977 that sold 117 units.
One surviving unit of the model was found in a pretty beat up condition as rust has taken over its bodywork, and the surfaces of its cabin were already dirty and torn. It was also missing several key components like the grille, headlights, bumper, and leather panels in the interior, to name a few.
Before it was purchased by BMW, the car belonged to Peter Kaye-Eddie who was a driver and team manager for a 530 MLE team. Its original chassis with number 770100 was still intact as well as its stock engine.
Luis Malhou of Custom Restorations was tasked by BMW to put the 530 MLE into its pristine condition. Members of the team who assembled the 530 MLE in its production run back in the day were consulted during the whole ordeal. The whole work took a year to finish, and it was truly a success when it was unveiled in a ceremony held at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn in South Africa.
The restored 1976 BMW 530 MLE retained its modified 3.0-liter inline-six engine. It’s capable of producing up to 200 hp and 204 lb-ft of torque. The numbers allow it to sprint from 0-62 mph in just 9.3 seconds.
While the figures are no longer that impressive by today’s standards, it should be noted that the numbers were remarkable in 1976. Add to that the fact that the 530 MLE marked the beginning of BMW’s focus on track-oriented cars.
Coming Soon: The Next-Generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ
The rumors are true after all. The next-generation models of the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ have been confirmed. An official announcement about the scheduled debut of the two is yet to be made but sources suggest that it might take place at the Tokyo Motor Show this month.
A few months ago, Toyota definitely impressed us with the unveiling of the new Supra . Demand was high on the new sports car as orders piled up from US customers. However, it seems that Toyota has more surprises to come.
According to the press release of Toyota , the joint development of the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ have been green-lighted. With that, the two sports cars are expected to share plenty of features.
The specifications of the cars are yet to be revealed but they will likely come with a new version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine found in the Subaru Ascent. The power unit will not be too overpowered though in order to avoid casting a shadow on the performance of the Supra. The two brands will probably keep the rear-wheel-drive platform of the said vehicles.
At the end of September, Toyota increased its stake in Subaru. Toyota raised its holdings in Subaru from 17 percent to 20 percent. This makes Subaru an equity affiliate of Toyota. Moreover, the move also brings the strong US sales and profits of Subaru onto Toyota.
The expansion of the partnership between the two automakers will allow them to share plenty of interesting technologies for their future cars, including Toyota’s new hybrid system and Subaru’s advanced all-wheel-drive system.
