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BMW’s M1 Gets a Makeover

With its latest concept vehicle, the German automaker pays homage to a long discontinued but iconic sports car

BMW’s M1 Gets a Makeover

by Stuart Schwartzapfel

At this year's Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este, Italy, last week, BMW unveiled a stunning design exercise dubbed M1 Hommage, a celebration of the company's iconic but defunct M1 model. Some 450 exotic M1 sports cars were hand-built by BMW between 1978 and 1981, and this new concept, while unlikely to make it to market, pays homage to the long discontinued model.

The M1 Hommage a is mid-engine sports coupe that retains the original's wide, aggressive stance and basic profile but features modern details. While the design overall echoes the previous version, this vehicle is decidedly more extreme, with exaggerated proportions and sharper lines. Gone are the flip-up headlights of old, replaced by menacing-looking narrow slits that feed into an imposing, twin kidney-shaped grille, long a staple of BMW design. But some things never change. Like the original, the new vehicle features a louvered hood and the M badge is placed on the side.

The Verdict: BMW's high-speed dream machine--and likely only that.

Stuart Schwartzapfel is a regular contributor to BusinessWeek.com. He has studied the automotive marketplace and works as an advertising and marketing strategist for major manufacturers. He does not write about any car brands for which he currently works.