BMW today is proudly — boastfully — showing its M1 Homage, a tribute to a legendary super-sports car that began production 30 years ago. This M1, however, is only a concept.
The M1 Homage holds remarkably firmly to the original, which had a BMW father and a Lamborghini mother (or vice versa; your call). Production of the original M1 ended in 1981 after a mediocre racing career few remember. It's better known for accelerating people to its top end of 162 mph, and doing it with a refinement rare among sports cars.
The two best features of the new version: 1) BMW created a new color, Liquid Orange, for just this concept car — never has any hue known as "orange" been this right on a car. 2) The bestial front end. The headlights are set deeply back into the grill (there is, technically no such thing on this car). They peer out in a feral squint. All the sharp lines flow together to create a look of absolute patience. It will pounce when it can take you down with the least amount of effort.
If you believe as some do that we are witnessing the final demise of extravagant, anatomy-compensating sports cars, the M1 Homage would be a beautiful end point.
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Via BMW Group
editor@dvice.com
By maven2k at 10:11 AM ON 04/29/08
Holy crap, if that isn't a full size Hot Wheel car, I don't know what is!
By Traveler at 1:11 PM ON 04/29/08
SWEET!!!!!!!!!
By ponka at 3:44 PM ON 04/29/08
would love to own one of these, probably can't afford it, i know if you have to ask. etc,etc,etc,
By Dave T at 4:06 PM ON 04/29/08
I only have three words:
I WANT ONE!!
By Beamer at 8:39 PM ON 04/29/08
I love the car but they need to work on the rims.
By Sian at 8:50 PM ON 04/29/08
Good lord that paintjob. *drool*
By KatzMotel at 7:57 AM ON 04/30/08
It's awfully gaudy and ostentatious, and not even particularly attractive. I prefer sports cars that are a little more... refined.
By david at 8:16 AM ON 04/30/08
Is this computer generated ?
By jillbilly at 8:40 AM ON 04/30/08
Can this page be emailed? I'm making out my list to Santa Claus...
By martin lucas at 8:56 AM ON 04/30/08
what a stupid looking car, the front looks both sly and evil with those near hidden head lights and as for the trade mark grill - it's looks like buck teeth.
By Ruben at 9:04 AM ON 04/30/08
Certainly does not follow the classic BMW design. I certainly could not tell this was a BMW if I ran into it. While all the current models are at least recognizable as Bimmers, this one could be anything.
By russj87 at 10:56 AM ON 04/30/08
Sweet looking car, i just want to know what makes it rumble, whats underneath the hood. An can us regulars afford it or is it just gonna be a richy rich car?
By ballsinyourface at 11:45 AM ON 04/30/08
dude. this is a computer animation. this car will never get made. you are all stupid. you guys should be ashamed for digging this so many times.
By Dave287 at 12:02 PM ON 04/30/08
Sweet car!! Agree w/Beamer, those rims gotta go
By baka at 12:13 PM ON 04/30/08
"...never has any hue known as "orange" been this right on a car."
Ummm....hello.....ever heard of the "General Lee"?
By latincrow81 at 12:31 PM ON 04/30/08
does anyone thinks it looks like it was designed by a cylon....also the ugliest rims i've seen
By chews at 12:34 PM ON 04/30/08
BALLSINYOURFACE: you are a moron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9iBIX7B2Lk
No it is not a computer generated image as you can see from the video VIDEO.
By guy at 4:47 PM ON 04/30/08
it certainly looks like a shitty computer render. Either that or they did a horrible job of lighting it.
By kark at 11:33 PM ON 04/30/08
some poor schlep looked through a BMW warehouse, and found a model of the 1972 E25 BMW Turbo...and then hit the model with an ugly shovel a few times.
The E25 was beautiful....imho.
By Briareos at 12:52 PM ON 05/01/08
The front of this car looks like it's saying: "Get in my way and I will eat you."
By babylonandon at 1:58 PM ON 05/01/08
I remember the original M-1. It was one of several excellent mid-engine wonders that were released to compete with the standard Ferrari and Lambo offerings during the post-musclecar era (when the sport desire was for smaller fast exotics instead classic large "gas-hog" American designs).
BMW had the M-1, Toyota had the MR2, Fiat's X1-9, GM built (and flopped) the Fiero, and Ford built the spectacular Pantera. I kind of think the Fiero actually started the demise of the idea as it was such a poorly designed car, but more standard configurations with the same performance were most likely the real killer. Few folks remember that the Nissan Z cars were once the greatest selling sports cars of all time beating even Firebirds, Mustangs, and Camaro's in sales.
Seeing the return of the exotics would be cool but (like the end of the nearly perfect Acura NSX and the more standard 350Z) with current high gas prices I doubt if they'd find enough of a market outside of the few cars sold to the rich by Lambo, Ferrari, and Porsche.
By MrFurious2k at 8:06 PM ON 05/01/08
It's interesting, but I don't find it inspiring. I still really like the look of the M5, but this car looks like the engineering team was trying too hard. It doesn't seem to have the graceful elegance of some of their Italian brethren or the brute lines of an American muscle car. It's like the car isn't quite sure what it wants to be and ultimately fails at captivating the viewer.
By Bob at 12:04 AM ON 05/02/08
Here's some more info on it:
http://www.pressportal.com.au/news/186/ARTICLE/1845/2008-04-28.html