BMW to Offer Green Rival to the Audi R8
BMW debuted their M1 Hommage Concept at the Concorso
d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este earlier this year to celebrate the 13th
birthday of the legendry M1. This sleek
mid-engine sports car had obvious styling cues from the original M1, with a
modern touch of flare.Rumors have
surfaced that BMW is now working on a production model based on the M1 Hommage,
and the most exciting portion of those rumors are around the drivetrain.
Supposedly, the next generation M1 (which is
not yet officially named) will feature a direct injection, twin turbocharged
3.0 liter inline six cylinder engine, and while the power output has not been
announced, there is a possibility that it will be equipped with the
EfficientDynamics system. This will
allow the high performance engine to offer similar emissions and economy as
BMWs mid-level 5-series sedans, but we can expect the ‘new M1’ to offer vastly
more power. This will be achieved by
features such as brake regeneration and start-stop technology, and for that
added Supercar touch, the kinetic energy
recovery system from the company’s F1 team.
The original M1 quickly secured its presence in the
automotive record books, and if BMW can offer a green Supercar with this new
edition, whether it carries the M1 name or not, it will surely be an instant
legend.