BMW

BMW M1 Hommage: the aborted prototype of the BMW Motorsport saga

The future of BMW Motorsport now adopts the angular and imposing form of a large SUV powered by a 750 hp plug-in hybrid powertrain, enough to make the BMW Concept XM the most powerful car ever created in Munich. A flagship of the future of this high-performance family, with a form factor that is now essential for every manufacturer.

However, when more than a year ago rumors began to circulate about a possible new car created by the Motorsport department, many imagined it could take the form of the BMW M1 Hommage, a prototype presented at the 2008 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and which was then parked.

The year of the presentation was no accident: 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1, the sports coupe of the late 70s designed by Giugiaro and inspired by the 1972 BMW Turbo prototype created by Paul Bracq.

The car became an instant classic thanks to its distinctive shape and engine, a 3.5-litre in-line 6-cylinder engine that developed 277 hp and 330 Nm of torque. With it, the sports car was able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and reach 265 km/h, which made it the fastest German car of its time. Last but not least, it was also responsible for the birth of the BMW M saga.

So what better way to pay tribute to such an iconic car than to present a concept inspired by it? So Chris Bangle, Head of Design at BMW at the time, along with Adrian van Hooydonk, the Director of Design, began sketching the lines of the new coupe, looking at both the M1 and the Turbo, with an especially wide hood and a flattened front end. , crossed by the characteristic double kidney and the ultra-thin LED headlights.

These headlights were hidden under an 'eyelid' and were only visible when they were on, while when they were off, they were almost invisible again, integrating into the line that crosses the grille. It was a way of resuming the concept of the retractable headlights of the original M1, a solution abandoned over the years by all manufacturers for safety reasons.

Even more characteristic was the rear, imposing and high, with the BMW logo situated on the left and right, just above the taillights (which were also very thin). It was a reference to the original M1, as was the rear porthole with its numerous blades.

Much more imposing was the rear diffuser, one of the few black elements of the bodywork. Although the 456 examples of the BMW M1 produced had different exterior tones, orange (Valencia Orange) had been chosen for the 1972 Turbo, just as this was the color chosen for the M1 Hommage.

Despite the lack of flashy appendages, the BMW M1 Hommage had very advanced aerodynamics, such as the improved double kidney to direct air to the engine's cooling system or the small blades with special openings with the same function.

Technical data was not revealed, although many suspected that the engine could be the majestic V10 of the BMW M5 of the time (the E60). Undoubtedly, it would have fitted perfectly, both for its performance and for its sound, and combined with the rear-wheel drive of a similar coupe, it would have provided, without a doubt, unique sensations.

However, the BMW M1 Hommage was just a one-off homage, although some of its styling keys were later taken up by van Hooydonk himself (who went on to be Senior VP of Design at BMW) to create the PHEV BMW i8 coupe, presented in 2014.

Autonews