After some development, power, driveability, and reliability improved, especially in the IMSA car, and BMW began to think about entering F1, where a handicap factor of 2.0 required 1,500 cc engines.

[12][13] During the 1982 season, the Brabham team, then owned by future F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, used both the older Cosworth DFV V8 engine as well as the turbocharged BMW M12 in selected races in a development program.

Reigning World Champion Nelson Piquet recorded the first win for the engine in F1 when he led home Brabham teammate Riccardo Patrese (in the Cosworth-powered car) at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix.

The engine was generally regarded as the most powerful in F1 at the time, producing approximately 1,100 hp (820 kW) in qualifying trim by 1985, and Piquet took nine pole positions in 1984 alone.

This version was claimed to have produced a maximum output of 1,400 hp (1,044 kW) at 11,000 rpm, and about 850–930 lb⋅ft (1,152–1,261 N⋅m) of torque in qualifying trim, which would make it the most powerful engine ever to race in Formula 1, turbocharged or otherwise.

[17] During the 1986 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Gerhard Berger's BMW-powered Benetton B186 recorded the highest straight line speed by a turbocharged Formula One car when he was timed at 352.22 km/h (219 mph).

[citation needed] In fact, the top five cars through the speed trap at Monza (Berger and teammate Teo Fabi, Brabham's Derek Warwick and Riccardo Patrese, and the Arrows of Thierry Boutsen) were all powered by the BMW M12.

[citation needed] Brabham tilted the upgraded engine sideways by 72° for use in the extremely low BT55, but the concept proved unsuccessful, most likely due to cooling issues in the tight compartment.

With turbos banned from the 1989 season, the Arrows team reverted to using 3,499 cc (213.5 cu in), naturally aspirated Ford DFR V8 power plants.

On tighter tracks such as street circuits like Monaco and Detroit which required greater acceleration and less top speed, the BMW-powered cars often lagged behind their major rivals.