The 2025 Silverstone Classic once again lived up to its reputation as one of the biggest historic racing festivals in the world. This year, BMW was front and center, represented across several race grids and in the car club displays. From the early 1970s CSL “Batmobiles” to modern GT3 machinery, the breadth of BMW’s racing history was on full display.
Touring Car Classics: The BMW 2002, 635CSi, and M3 E30
Few cars embody BMW’s early racing spirit better than the BMW 2002. With its two-liter four-cylinder engine, lightweight body, and straightforward engineering, the 2002 reminded spectators why it became such an effective touring car in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Moving up a decade, the BMW E24 635CSi Group A Competition Coupe also took to the track. This big, straight-six powered coupe was a stalwart of the European Touring Car Championship in the early 1980s, winning races thanks to its mix of power and stability. At Silverstone, the 635CSi carried that same Group A spirit, its long hood and low roofline still looking purposeful decades later.
The star of BMW’s touring car entries, however, was the BMW M3 E30 Group A. Several examples were on the grid, wearing liveries that carried fans straight back to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Among them: the white-and-blue FINA M3, the bright red Bastos cars driven by Steve Soper, and even a Monte Shell-liveried car. Each E30 M3 was powered by the S14 four-cylinder engine, revving well beyond 8,000 rpm, and still showed why this car is remembered as one of the most successful touring cars ever built.
The BMW CSL “Batmobiles”
Another highlight of the weekend was the BMW 3.0 CSL, the car that gave BMW its first real foothold in international touring car success during the 1970s. Several CSLs raced at Silverstone, each instantly recognizable with their wide arches and tall rear wings.
A standout was the 1973 Jägermeister CSL, finished in its famous orange livery. Another crowd favorite was the Belga Team CSL, recalling the Belgian squad’s European exploits. The CSL’s straight-six engine, combined with its dramatic aerodynamics, made it one of the most distinct cars on the grid. Fans often call it the “Batmobile,” and seeing multiple examples in competition underscored just how important this car was in shaping BMW’s racing identity.
Prototype and Group C Efforts
BMW’s racing history extends beyond touring cars, and that was evident in the Group C race. The March 86G-BMW GTP took part, representing BMW’s attempts to compete in endurance racing during the 1980s. With its BMW turbocharged straight-four engine, the March wasn’t the dominant force of its era, but it was a fascinating entry in a field filled with Porsches and Jaguars. Its appearance at Silverstone reminded fans that BMW was experimenting in prototype racing long before the brand’s later Le Mans successes.
Adding to the single-seater history, a March 782 F2 car with BMW power also appeared, once connected to drivers like Marc Surer in the late 1970s. The 2.0-liter BMW engine was a mainstay of Formula 2, helping launch the careers of several future Formula 1 drivers.
The New Historic GT3 Series
One of the fresh features of the 2025 Silverstone Classic was the Historic GT3 Series, giving cars from the 2000s and early 2010s a chance to join the historic grids. BMW’s lineup was strong here too. The BMW Z4 GT3, once a regular in endurance series like the Blancpain GT, made its Classic debut. With its long hood, wide stance, and naturally aspirated 4.4-liter V8, the Z4 GT3 already feels like a modern classic. Several examples ran in the series, marking the first time many fans had seen them treated as historic racers.
Alongside the Z4 were other BMW GT entries, including an E92 M3 GT4, which in its day was a popular customer racing car, and a V8 PTG E46 M3 GT, a machine with American roots that competed in IMSA. These cars, once considered cutting-edge, are now part of the evolving history that events like Silverstone Classic are beginning to recognize.
BMW Car Club Great Britain
Off-track, the BMW Car Club Great Britain assembled an impressive display in the club paddock. Enthusiasts brought everything from pristine E30s and CSL road cars to modern M models, offering a snapshot of BMW’s history beyond the race cars. For many fans, this was a chance to get close to the cars they grew up with or still drive every day, complementing the on-track action with the club’s strong community presence.
[Photos provided by Quirin Schoen www.qr-photography.com]
