Name an iconic duo – we’ll wait. Apart from jokes, visitors to the BMW Museum will have a real pleasure because the M1 sits next to its modern equivalent. In contrast to his source of inspiration, MS homage to the only Supercar never made it into production. Although the homage is medium-sized as its ancestors, borrowed, although it loaned the front and rear axles from the front engine E63 6 series.
Similar to the E26, which had undergone a turbulent development process, the follow-up concept from 2008 faced its own challenges. BMW designed and built it in just four months to be ready for the concorso d’Elanza Villa d’Este from 2008 and to celebrate 30 years since the original debut of the M1. If it has been put into production, the liquid orange tunner should get a naturally sucked 5.0-liter V10 engine. Yes, the high -ranking S85 from the E60 M5 and E63 M6.
But the homage never saw daylight, so it is always a special occasion to see it up close. To admire the unique, since it is located next to the Giorschetto Giugiaro-Penned M1, is the icing on the cake. We still prefer the original, but Benoit Jacob’s work does not make it less impressive. If you look at the concept, it is hard to believe that the design is already 17 years old. His predecessor has also aged like fine wine.
BMW has visited the idea of a super sports car again a few times since the M1 homage. It came close to the Greenlighting of a flagship power machine around the decade. The 2019 vision should be a production model next, but the project was placed in cans a year later due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Next, the Vision M had developed in the 12 months after the concept was unveiled to the “I16” project. BMW developed the medium -sized super sports car with the composite structure of the i8 before finally pulling the plug. Instead, we have the XM. Why? We remember an explanation a few years ago:
“The BMW M1 fit perfectly to its era, while the BMW XM is tailored to today’s customers. In earlier times, sports cars for a wide range of customers and very relevant for automobile manufacturers were extremely appealing. Customers around the world are looking for saving/SUVs today who deliver practicality and have a significant package in a luxurious package delivery.
In short, BMW thought it would earn more money with a polarizing SUV than with an M1 successor. XM sales figures were not exactly great. We still hope for another super sports car. If the company has employed buyers for the base of Speedtop and Skytop of 500,000 M8 of € 500,000, there should be a business case for a seven -digit range. So that we do not forget, the € 750,000 M4 CSL was also a resounding success, so now almost any other time to bring a new M1 onto the market.
Photos: BMW Welt / Instagram
