BMW in Germany has its roots as a manufacturer of aircraft engines and is also known for its motorcycles powered by a flat-twin air-cooled engine. Based in the Bavarian region in Germany, BMW produces many models particular about driving pleasure, and has many fans around the world. The good running of each model has demonstrated its power in various motor sports. BMW has also been actively involved in motorsport activities. In the category of touring car racing, BMW won the long-desired ETC (European Touring Car Championship) champion in 1966 with the 2000TI model, and has a brilliant history of the motorsport races.
BMW continues to play an active part that can be said to be the champion of touring car racing, and it is the BMW 3 series that can be said to be its main model. The first BMW 3 series came into 1975 and replaced the BMW 02 series, which is the successor to the 2000TI. The model, codename E21, became a big hit with sales of as many as one million units in the six years leading up to 1982. After that, the 3 series, which has been repeated regular model changes, has been remodeled to 4th generation in 1999. The model, codename E46, became BMW’s flagship model, is also used as the base machine for touring car racing and participates in races held around the world. With many cars participating in touring car racing with the times becoming the FF of the front drive, BMW that runs through the FR system 2WD of the front engine rear drive is valuable. The BMW E46 has participated in many races such as the ETCC(European Touring Car Championship), the BTCC(British Touring Car Championship) in the UK, and many privateer teams also ran E46 and made the races exciting.
One of the privateer teams is the Carly Motors in the Netherlands. Carly Motors was founded in 1979 as a tuning company. From 1999 to 2003, the Carly Motors ran a machine based on the BMW 320i for the DTCC(Dutch Touring Car Championship) and the Guia Race of Macau, and played an active part as one of the BMW top teams.
BMW is active in touring car racing and continues in a variety of forms, including the development of E46 evolution models, and has been carrying on to the current motor sport activities.
