Paolo Cavalieri is a racing connoisseur. From a former racing driver for BMW South Africa, this may not come as a surprise. But when you enter the showroom of his company Pablo Clark Racing, you quickly realise: an extraordinary enthusiast is at work here. Whether it’s perfectly preserved BMW South Africa-only models or a precise replica of the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL – it’s all about the most powerful letter of the world. Because it is the M, as Cavalieri says, that makes the brand BMW M special to this day and what he appreciates the most: motorsport. The British presenter and creator Becky Evans met the race car devotee in his home.
I had a very short racing career, but, you know, despite that, once it's in your blood, you can't get rid of it.
RACING ALS TEIL DES LEBENS.
RACING ALS TEIL DES LEBENS.
The BMW 3.0 CSL has a special place in Cavalieri’s heart – the first BMW M race car. It was also the first car with the typical M colour scheme that is used to this day: the so called Seeheimer stripes in light blue, dark blue and red. Cavalieri’s enthusiasm for the successful touring car was so great that he decided to have a detailed replica made. Based on the BMW 2800 CS series model, his own personal “3.0 CSL” is barely distinguishable from the original. It’s something like a time capsule from an era when motorsport was the ultimate test for man and machine. The South African is still fascinated by the fact that in 1973, you could buy the BMW 3.0 CSL as a street-legal car with the large “Batmobile” wing that came in an extra box.
A 7 SERIES FOR THE RACETRACK?
A 7 SERIES FOR THE RACETRACK?
The showroom also has a BMW 745i SA on display, a version of the top model made specifically for the South African market. The fact that this 7 Series is powered by the high-revving motor of the BMW M1 with six cylinders already makes it special. The red Winfield livery, which Cavalieri had refined into a unique piece by the South African artist Sam Nhlengethwa, makes it even more special. That this 7 Series was also used as a race car to compete against rivals such as the Ford Sierra V8 “The Animal” makes this car iconic once and for all. With its 3.6 litres displacement and tuned to over 550 hp for the Wesbank Modified Championship in 1986, the BMW 745i SA in Cavalieri’s possession is one of only two BMW 7 Series models that competed in races. Both cars were driven by the South African racing driver Tony Viana, whose successes shape the country’s motorsport scene to this day.
None of the cars we have here are static. We put them on the racetrack, we drive them, we share them. We have passengers coming in and joining us for hot laps. And I think that's really important.
BMW M2 “ARRABBIATA” AS DAILY RACER.
BMW M2 “ARRABBIATA” AS DAILY RACER.
Nostalgia and adrenaline are the two ingredients that motivate Cavalieri and his company Pablo Clark Racing. So, the enthusiasm for models from the 1980s is supplemented by that for current BMW M models. This is exemplified especially by the BMW M2 “Arrabbiata” – a BMW M2 with a manual gearbox built by Cavalieri’s team and optimised for the racetrack. “Arrabbiata” is a small hint at Cavalieri’s Italian roots. The moniker says it all: the machine has been properly spiced up. The goal was to use specific optimisations to combine maximum lap performance with the character of a BMW M with a manual gearbox.
The BMW M2 not needed too much work for using on track because the car's born beautifully already. A great project for us.
