The starting point of the Crème 21 Youngtimer Rally, which runs from September 12 to 16 in 2018, will be on the grounds of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen. On the evening of the first day, a film screening is planned in Essen's drive-in movie theater, and all guests are welcome in addition to the teams.
On Friday, the event will continue via the Zinkhütter-Hof Museum near Aachen to the Aldenhover Testing Center. This is an interdisciplinary test center for mobility. Special stages are offered especially for the rally, including a two-kilometer oval rough track, a driving dynamics area and a braking track. At the finish in Luxembourg, BMW Group Classic will organize the evening event. Finally, on Sunday, the highlight will be the award ceremony at the end of the final stage.
BMW Group Classic is once again the main sponsor of the rally, which is now taking place for the 17th time. At the same time, it will also be taking part with seven vehicles, including two BMW motorcycles for the first time.
The oldest vehicle in this group will be the BMW 3.0 CSL, built in 1971. The icon had 180 hp at the beginning and 206 hp from 1973. The racing version brought BMW the European Touring Car Championship in 1973, followed by five more titles between 1975 and 1979.
A birthday boy will also be present, the BMW M1. This celebrates its fortieth birthday in 2018. In 1978, the M1 was the first racing car to be built without a production base; the road-going version and its M designation soon became famous. With a price tag of 100,000 marks and a top speed of 260 km/h, the M1 was both the brand's most expensive car and the fastest sports car of its time. The 277 hp and acceleration to one hundred in 5.6 seconds are still remarkable.
The next BMW in the flotilla is the 323i from the third model generation of the mid-range series, built from 1990 onwards. The vehicle was first on sale in 1994 and had 170 hp to offer. A total of more than 2.3 million units were sold.
The BMW MW Z3, built from 1995, will also be there. It was equipped with a four or six-cylinder engine and, as the BMW M Roadster, had up to 325 hp.
The two BMW motorcycles, the BMW K1 and R80 G/S, deserve special mention. 7,000 units of the K1 were built, equipped with 100 hp and an in-line four-cylinder engine, as well as a top speed of 240 km/h. The BMW R80 G/S (from 1980) was the first enduro with a multi-cylinder engine. However, its boxer engine with 797 cm3 produced 50 hp. With 30,000 units sold, this model is one of BMW's more successful motorcycles.
