From Go-Karts to an M1 Procar

Alex Hernandez on the allure of this iconic race car

ALEX HERNANDEZ is a real estate investor whose love for cars started at the age of five, thanks to the influence of his godfather. We sat down with him to chat about his Canepa-restored BMW M1 Procar, considered iconic as it’s essentially the only street-legal version of a pure race car. “I plan to keep it in the family for as long as possible. It’s a piece of history I can never replace,” explains Hernandz on his procar, which still gets taken out for a spin, sometimes by his godfather, who continues to instill a love for driving and an appreciation for cars.

When did you get into cars?
I first got into cars when I was about five years old — my godfather influenced me by bringing me my first electric razor go-kart.

When and how did you get into racing cars?
When I was five, I started go-karting around our golf club on the cart paths. I was introduced to electric indoor karting when I was about 10. I got into tracking cars when I was about 16-years-old once I had my driver’s license, as most tracks require a driver’s license.

Five is so young to be behind the wheel of anything! Very cool. What was your first car?
My first car was a 2010 red Mazda 3 hatchback.

Nice! Why did you choose this car?
This car was in the family and given to me for my sixteenth birthday.

Could you talk briefly about your career and how it progressed to where you are now? How have cars informed your decisions around this?
My career has been a fascinating journey, to say the least. I graduated college with a BS in consumer sciences. That said, all of my classes had to do with the business
aspects of retailing. Ranging from buying, merchandising, product development, entrepreneurship, and business planning.

The back story behind that explanation is that I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and develop myself and my career with my aspirations and dreams. Though I was set on this, I had no clue what I wanted to do in the real world. I worked for a few marketing companies and wasn’t set on enjoying it on a smaller scale. I then took a step back and realized, “Where can I invest my time to create and grow myself and a company of its own.” This is where I then networked with some family friends and decided I wanted to go into investing in real estate, both residential and commercial. My godfather has always been a massive influence in my life, and this was finally one thing that I could venture out on my own, make the mistakes I needed to make, and learn from them to develop where I am today.

Cars have informed my decisions because they give me that drive every day to continue striving for success, and the rewards will come within. Cars have always been my second office as you learn so much about yourself that you never knew. It’s an entirely different experience than any other sport you wouldn’t feel or understand until you are behind that wheel and it’s just you and the road.

I love what you said about how you learn about yourself via cars. How did your relationship with cars change as you grew up?
For me, it came in stages. Having my go-kart as a kid was just a dream and a treat combined. Being tall enough to go to the indoor karting facilities just added to those experiences. Sixteen came along, and a driver’s license, which was when it went into full effect on “Wow, I can now drive on a hot race car track? Let’s do this!” Which then aimed my goals to be a proficient driver on the track and an even more aware driver on the roads.

Did you find yourself liking cars you didn’t used to as you entered the track realm?
Even more so every year I get older. I appreciate more and more as time goes on, whether classic, muscle, modern sports cars, hypercars, or race cars. I’m in a similar boat. I’m constantly finding myself attracted to genres I wasn’t interested in prior.

How did this BMW M1 Procar enter your life? When did the cars, in general, first enter your radar?
The M1 Procar was introduced to me by my godfather. It was his dream car when he was a kid. Watching F1 at Monaco with gentleman drivers being able to race around with the current F1 drivers at the time blew his mind. He’s also a BMW fanatic, and this was always the one he wanted to have. The remarkable fact about this car is that it is a Procar, which is one-of-one that has not been raced.

That’s amazing. The Procar is one of those vehicles that anyone from any background can appreciate. It’s a beast. What was your first opinion of the Procars?
At first, I genuinely didn’t know what it was. I knew it was a BMW only because of the badge on the hood and the rear wing. Once I read the story on it and did more research, I just thought, “Wow, this is a piece of history alone, nonetheless a modern restoration modification of THE Procars that ran back in the day.”

Yeah, it’s a very special car; most people will never encounter something like it. How would you say this car is special?
It’s been converted into a street-legal road car—a street-legal BMW M1 Procar. Body kits, wheels, interior, and even down to its wheel hubs, but it was still restrained from a complete Procar conversion as parts have long been extinct. Its 3.5-litre engine has been rebuilt to house an electronic fuel injection system, producing 470 hp and 484 Nm of torque, delivering power through a 5-speed ZF gearbox. Brakes were supplied by Brembo and tucked beneath its BBS wheels. The Procar had an impressive power-to-weight ratio as it only weighed approximately 1,020 kg, and performance figures spoke for themselves: 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds with a disturbing top speed of 311 km/h. Road-issued M1s never really came with this distinct color, called Basalt Blue. It was saved for four units that were made for BMW board members. BMW made just over 450 units of the street-legal M1 from 1978 to 1981.

That power-to-weight ratio is insane, especially for the early ’80s. What was its life before Canepa?
Canepa got a lead on the car in 2001. It was a strange M1 with a peculiar paint job sitting in a Texan barn. Canepa inspected the tube frame for rust and corrosion, found itdry and intact, purchased thecar,brought it to his facilities inCalifornia, and put it away to berestored later.

Ah yes, everyone loves a barnfind. What did Canepa do tothe car?
A few years later, the impetus to restore the oddball M1 came during the lead-up to BMW’s100thautomobile anniversary celebration in Monterey, and
so the dismantling process began to treat the car to a proper ground-up job to be debuted at the event. Having owned and modified a few M1s in period, Bruce was no stranger to the inner workings of BMW’s sole supercar. Still, once the pieces started to come off, there were a few things that didn’t look so familiar, like adjustable suspension mounts, patched over holes where a wing and fender flares might be mounted, brackets for a missing oil cooler, telltale signs of a previous identity as a Procar. Later confirmed by BMW as one of four factory-sanctioned Procars that never saw competition, the plan to restore the M1 into a Concours-level production version was ditched to favor something in keeping with its newly discovered provenance. It never raced; it was never an immaculate and untouched road car, so there was a wide-open future for this particular M1, with no such thing as sacrilege. It has genuine suspension uprights, center-lock hubs, tie-rods, axles, mirrors, wheels, and gorgeous steroidal bodywork. All original.

It really is a one-of-one car. What makes this M1 Procar iconic?
The Canepa-restored BMW M1 Procar is considered iconic because it is essentially the only street-legal version of a pure race car, featuring original Procar bodywork, suspension, and components, allowing for a unique driving experience that blends aggressive racing aesthetics with the ability to drive on public roads, making it a highly sought-after collector’s item with a distinct historical significance tied to the BMW M1’s racing legacy; essentially a “road-going” version of a legendary race car, thanks to Canepa’s restoration expertise.

How has it been used since it has been in your life?
My godfather has been enjoying it on the track on special occasions and when the weather pertains. As he likes to say, “Everything goes on the track. That’s what it’s designed for, right?”

I love people who drive their cars. Too many cars boast incredible performance abilities that have been sitting for years. What plans do you have with the car?
I plan to keep it in the family for as long as possible. It’s a piece of history I can never replace, especially considering what it means to my godfather.

What challenges have you faced with this car?
Saying no to all the offers to take it to car shows!!

Haha! I’m sure they are endless. Do you feel like owning this car and being part of car culture has changed you? In what ways?
It’s made me have a greater appreciation of history, what cars used to be, and what they are now. It’s hard to recreate a piece of history, and Canepa has managed to do so.

What are some significant memories you have with cars and this car specifically?
It is a memory whenever I’m on the track or in a car. It’s all a part of the journey. You just can’t write it.

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