Review: BMW M1 Homage
To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 super sports car, BMW Group Design presented a tribute to this legendary model last month at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2008. The BMW M1 Tribute concept aims to combine the proportions and graphic themes of the BMW M1 with the surface language of the new BMW look.
CAN attended the event and was impressed by this new concept of the team of Adrian van Hooydonk. In particular, it combines a good balance of new forms, surfaces and graphics with references to the BMW M1 and the BMW Turbo concept. BMW also showed the two cars of the years 1970, beautifully restored and research in the beautiful Italian sun.
The original 1978 BMW M1 was a race car as a limited edition car road racing for approval. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was a little more sober and functional compared to other Supercars late 1970, as the Lamborghini Countach or Lancia Stratos. In many respects, the M1 was a logical extension of the themes developed by Giugiaro him on the Maserati Bora and Lotus Esprit, in particular the demarcation line box by the door that wraps around the car, the corner of the nose and thin single profile curve of the roof over the deck.
Frai M1 was the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, a lesser-known but significant concept car, which boasted a series of technical and safety innovations. Two prototypes have been built and were unveiled during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, with a view to presenting BMW safety features and crash absorption of ideas, as the foam front and rear and side beams in telescopic doors - two elements that have influenced the latest production cars. More importantly, it brought the style elements that have influenced the M1, including all front and rear treatments, pop-up lights and two large kidney grille flanked by side grids fog lamps and DI acting as the main face. Built on a chassis 2002, the concept of Turbo 200PS turbo four-cylinder was also mounted on the legendary 2002 Turbo of 1973.
“For a company as a product, it is important to be aware of its roots. In the spirit of Giugiaro and Bracq, the BMW M1 Tribute BMW unit values of design and technology in a very emotional and exciting interpretation” Says Chris Bangle, BMW Group design director.
First impressions of the M1 Tribute show that sketches by designer Benoit Jacob have been faithfully translated into the final model. Whereas the original M1 has a look relatively benign, the M1 Tribute is more aggressive, mainly because of his mask before, but also because of its position broader and more complex surface. The “Liquid Orange ‘paint finish gives a wonderful contrast with the black and black windows graphics design. On the side view, the basic silhouette is fluid, with a retail particularly pleased to be how the entry and exit slots at each end of the DLO balance each other.
The wheels are a development of the original “spider web” or “boomerang” design, although they are more deeply dished and have more sculpture in their midst. Similarly, the afterdeck bulged with four references black louvers the M1, but the theme also suggests Raw Power and, as before, the two BMW logos means that it is an engine in mid-BMW. Contemporary Updates include narrow and flat tail lights and the “floating” blades bumper lower.
The most controversial is how the lines around the rear flanks are deliberately disturbed and do not intersect. At the first glance, it seems awkward, but once he realized that the idea is to propose the dissolution of air circulation, he started to make more sense and provides that “unforeseen peak” which is so essential for a showcar like this BMW. Interestingly, it is not unlike the idea behind Mazda Taiki concept last year, although BMW take on it is not as extreme as on this car.
The front is much more aggressive than the original, with the lights deeply buried in a narrow slot to give a threat, hooded eyes of expression. The black slit through the front with kidney twin BMW simply chosen as a chrome-extruded in its midst. In a sense, it is a pity the kidneys are so large, as in BMW sedans, as it could have been a great opportunity to show how close the old kidney ground could be made to work on a modern BMW.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Director Design BMW Automobiles, said: “The BMW M1 Tribute evident creativity and potential of the team BMW Design. A project like this is a valuable source of inspiration for our daily work . ” This gives hope that some of the ideas we see here may result in future production BMWs and is the main difference in comparing this concept purely retro-theme of the BMW Concept Mille Miglia Coupe, presented ago two years at the Villa d’Este.
In the same vein, we saw a number of “Living Legends” Supercars recently, but what makes M1 Tribute so much better, it’s not a literal interpretation of the theme as are, by example, the Ford GT and Lamborghini Miura concepts.
There are two aspects to the BMW M1 Tribute, which are important. The first is the creation of more enlightened competition car makers that events like the Villa d’Este, Goodwood, Louis Vuitton or Pebble Beach represent a far superior to present new ideas, free from pressure limit ‘ a show stand of the press. The atmosphere without haste, sophisticated and warm sunshine provide a much better opportunity to get their message in a guest specialist.
Secondly, the M1 Tribute suggests that BMW may wish to enter the super sports car scene. Like the Turbo had something of a response to the Mercedes C111 concept of 1970, perhaps the M1 Tribute is a sign that something soon they are ready to go Porsche, Audi R8 SLR McLaren and hunting …