2008 Villa D'Este Photo Gallery: BMW Out Foxes Audi's R8 And Others With New M1 Concept?

R U Kidding? That thing looks like something out of a bad 1980s sci phi flik like TRON.

No style at all.

Hate to mention it to you, but it looks like the cars in the old 80s sci fi movie that my dad used to watch.

And besides it was designed to look retro, because it is a tribute to BMWs only Supercar the M1.

If BMW decides to put a 20th century M1 into production, they won't make the mistake of creating another Z8 with this car.

And a silly article really, why compare a state of the art modern design like the R8 with a memorabilia for celebrating BMWs past. Frankly i like the R8 way more.

this thing looks computerized and horrendously ugly. R8 all the way for me unless the GTR is put into the mix

the wheels are horrible and the body is a very poor attempt. Not impressed, I usually like most BMW designs.

It's remind me to the Z8 ..

Just another Ugly BMW ..

Yay! No Bangle butt!

over the r8??? no way !!

brilliant! amazing! unmatched!

way to go BMW u just dumbed downed the idea that you were actually on the right design track. ;)

just kidding...it looks ok, in my mind it needs work still which im sure it will go through. Look better than the R8? i doubt it as this doesnt look as revolutionary as the R8 did when it debuted, but a decent step towards making a supercar anyways.

At first sight yesterday I thought this was cool and rather interesting, but then someone pointed out something which forced me to look again. They said it looks dated, as if it is a concept from the 90's. Looking particularly at the rear 3/4, side views, and wheels I must admit that I agree.

I really don't mean that it looks like a specific concept car, simply that it looks as if it is a concept car from that era.

Not that it doesn't bear more than just a passing resemblance to more than one car of the time.

This car looks like crap,better redesign quick!!!

That looks amazing... a little too much like a Lotus Esprit, but still looks great.

mean looking.

is this another collaboration between lamborghini and bmw or is it just bmw?

1987 called. It wants its concept car back.

Don't worry Audi has been preparing their R8 for the M1.

Later this year, the R8 is coming with a twin-turbo V10 with 570 horsepower. courtesy of the RS6

With a 0-60 time of what is likely to be 3.5 seconds and 0-100 in 8.3 - 8.5 seconds the R8 should not have any problems dealing with the M1.

1995, I know you're a little biased, but don't turn into a fanboy. That is one retarded thing to say.

I don't think it can get much more balanced or tossable than an AWD mid-engined eight-cylinder manual gearbox sports car. The R8 has nearly perfect handling, or so I've read.

but obviously peoples perception of the R8 are very different, to some mags thats say its ugly, and doesnt drive or perform like a true sports car in the way the 911 does, to the R8 winning a comparison between it and the 911 so to say this car is the end all be all that many here are making it out to be are dead wrong. i would give more credit to the GTR than the MIXED review R8, because the GTR always impresses where as the R8 does not.

Definitely some serious potential there. Can't wait to see how this beast progresses...

The fwd handicap will be dealt with by having a mid-engine design and taking a car that is already one of the best handling cars you can buy, and giving it horsepower and torque that will allow it to be right there with Porsche's 911 Turbo not only in the handling department, but also in the straights.

How Nostalgic!! It's the VECTOR car reborn!!

It looks interesting, to say the least, but how can you compare a car that is so obviously a concept to the R8? There is no way something like that would make it to production.

And yes, it looks like it's from 1992.

Hey this is a computer animated drawing and I will wait to see the real concept before I pass judgement.

Just imagine if this concept were from an Asian manufacturer. We all know what your thoughts would be then.

...Do they expect to be grating cheese on those wheels?

This is just a HOMMAGE Concept - a tribute to the original M1 (for its 30th birthday).

Not having any future agenda. Won't make it into production - nor showing any clues about future BMW cars.

It's just a tribute (like BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia 2006 was two years ago) - combining retro styling theme with the modern BMW styling ("flame surfacing").

So: NOT A DESIGN STUDY BUT A HOMMAGE CONCEPT (A TRIBUTE) WITHOUT FUTURE AGENDA.

HOMMAGE CONCEPT my ass. BMW is testing the waters.

amazingbimmer will think its the best thing since sliced bread.

absolutely

why did they position the badge on the back like that. Ugly

Have you ever seen the original M1? I guess not. If you had you would not ask such a stupid question.

The M1 Hommage Concept is a hommage to the original M1: M1 reinovated (retro + futurism. Just an exhibition Concept to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original M1.

Geez!

excuses excuses

yes, that new BMW M1 crushes that rebadged VW, Audi R8TT

good one

the R8 shares some parts with the Lamborghini Gallardo

It's a concept, that doesn't look roadworthy. Compare it to the R8 when you can actually buy one.

What's next? comparing design sketches to real cars.

as a concept it does what all concepts do, get attention with concept styling

This is the most beautiful car ever made. It has to be because it's a BMW. I so hope they put this car into production. I truly do. It will sell like Hotcakes! I do have one concern though. There are not enough badges on the car. It needs 2 or three more BMW logos on the door. Maybe some small ones on the windshield.

lmfao

the front head design look like Zion mobile suit in Gundam Movie & 850.

Front looks inspired by the KTM X-bow, which was a more cohesive design in my opinion. Overall, I do not like this M1.

This is horrible, how could one mention this and the R8 in the same sentence?

I wonder how loud this will get at 80 MPH as the air molecules are forced to "interpret" the chaos of the rear design...particularly that slit.

Is this a serious question??? Looks like an 80's concept car, perhaps something for the movie "Blade Runner". Hot? Perhaps 20 years ago. No where near the evolutionary design of the R8.

looks kind of like a cross between delorean and nsx

so I will not comment on the Larry's of this web site. However, I agree with the 80's and 90's comments, and is it just me or it looks like an "hommage" to the Vector.
Remember the Vector W2, that was actually very "space age", that reminds me of it .
LOL anyway

Not bad looking. I like the very sharp angles, which are quite a contrast to the smooth lines on the R8. That being said, they're both beautiful designs, just in different ways. For me personally, I prefer something a bit bolder, sharper, more intense and aggressive... so I pick the BMW.

Looks 80'sh, ugly, and I don't know how can it possibly outfox the R8, Lambo, Ferrari???

BTW, what the HELL is the deal with the two BMW emblems on the back?

I just the saw the pics, the LF-A is gorgeous, and that Bentley is just ugly!!!

you obviously dont know cars, all this concept is, is a modern interpretation of a car that was produced from the 70's to the early 80's, so hence it looking very retro, the BMW badges are EXACTLY what the original had on it, how can you be enthusiast and not no anything about the Lamborghini, and BMW effort M1 i mean seriously

Wow this thing is ugly...I know it's just a concept apparently paying homage to an out-dated car, but if they really want to compete with the R8 from a design standpoint, they'll have to draw their inspiration from somewhere else.

How dare you compare the magnificent R8 with gut-wrenchingly ugly THING!

i like it, it looks like a modern day M1, including the wheels, very retro which probably means it wont be produced, but i like it, and it does look like what a next generation M1 would have looked like

It looks like BMW, LAmborghini and Zagato were having sex and they gave birth this child!!
From some perspectives it looks great , from some other it looks not realy great!!!

Flippin' awesome!

But, the R8 remains just as cool.

Great car!!!! Don't knock it!!!!

The original press release from BMW is here:

http://www.pressportal.com.au/news/186/ARTICLE/1845/2008-04-28.html

Design tribute to the BMW M1 celebrates its world premiere at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2008.

Munich/Cernobbio. To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 super sports car, BMW Group Design is presenting a homage to this legendary model as part of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2008. The BMW M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro was a car of superlatives and a highly emotive vehicle that was uncompromisingly primed for the race track. Spawning this development was the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, a revolutionary concept car which, in addition to its groundbreaking functional design, also boasted a raft of technical innovations. It is from these two unique vehicles that the BMW M1 Homage takes its cue – a design study that pays tribute to its forerunner models and an embodiment of the competence, creativity and potential of the BMW Group Design team.

“For BMW, heritage is always also a living heritage. Drawing inspiration from your own past and thereby reinventing yourself – that is exactly what the BMW M1 Homage demonstrates in impressive style.” Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW Group Board Member, Development

A particular forte of BMW Group Design is to draw on its own powerful history and actively feed this into the design of the future. The BMW M1 Homage is a design study in the tradition of a BMW Turbo that represents a contemporary take on the BMW M1 and the mid-engine concept. This tribute exhibits an emotional design that showcases technology and integrates it into the overall aesthetics of the vehicle.

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este provides the perfect backdrop for the BMW M1 Homage. Here automotive beauties from the past meet the concept cars and design studies of the future. It is in this dynamic field of tension between past and present that the BMW Group Design team affords insights into its own perspective on a historically inspired automotive future.

Homage to the BMW M1.

“For a company as for a product, it is important to be aware of one’s roots. In the spirit of Giugiaro and Bracq, the BMW M1 Homage unites the BMW values of design and technology in a highly emotional and exciting interpretation.” Christopher E. Bangle, Director Design BMW Group

The BMW M1 was an utterly uncompromising super sports car oozing passion; its forerunner, the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, displayed innovative technical solutions that found their expression in emotional design. It is precisely this blend – of technology and design, rationality and passion – that the BMW M1 Homage embodies. It presents an exciting and authentic interpretation of the BMW M1 and the mid-engine concept from a present-day perspective, and the legacy of the BMW M1 Homage is obvious at first glance. Unquestioningly it takes up the graphic play of the hallmark BMW M1 colours black and orange and interprets them anew. The Liquid Orange paintwork exclusively developed for the BMW M1 Homage cites the classic BMW M1 colour, yet surprises with its powerfully iride

iridescent play of colour and brilliant depth. It shapes the extrovert surface language and strikingly highlights the eloquent interplay of convex and concave surfaces.

Mention the BMW M1, and another feature that immediately springs to mind is the characteristic twin logo at the rear, on the right and left edge above the tail lights. For BMW, this particular arrangement of its emblems has always signalled a mid-engined model. In the development stage of the BMW M1 this dual emblem was the first styling element to be approved even before the initial sketches were drawn. Likewise, it was confirmed from the outset that the BMW M1 Homage would feature the same twin badges. Other specific styling cues taken from the BMW M1 are the air vents in the bonnet and the louvres on the rear windscreen, as well as the black cutline dividing the roofline from the rear section of the body. Overall, the exterior dimensions of the BMW M1 Homage are in keeping with those of the BMW M1; only the extended wheelbase indicates a larger passenger cell.

Emotional design at the flashpoint between tradition and modernism.

The BMW M1 Homage takes long familiar elements from the BMW Design repertoire, reinterprets them and couches them in a new context. Its design brings together past and present, expanding the observer’s perception through new design solutions that find their expression in typical BMW style. If the contrasting colours were a dominant design theme for the BMW M1, this contrast is perpetuated in the BMW M1 Homage through its surface styling. Familiar elements, such as the trademark proportions, are combined with new and exciting lines, surfaces and details to create an up-to-date interpretation of the BMW M1, which remains to this day an extraordinary car.

Shunning the strong wedge shape of other mid-engine cars, the BMW M1 Homage consciously opts for BMW’s characteristic proportions. A relatively long engine compartment, a clearly defined transition into the A-pillar and a stretched window line featuring the “Hofmeister” kink instantly give it away as a bona fide BMW. The horizontal flow of lines lowers the car’s visual centre of gravity and lends it an air of sovereignty.

Though the BMW M1 already boasted extremely harmonious and sporty proportions, its surface design was not yet an explicit styling issue and was dominated by high-contrast graphic themes. Today, however, next to the car’s proportions, it is primarily the unusual surface styling that determines the strong recognition value of a BMW model. For some years now, all BMW vehicles have exhibited a striking and unique design language. The sculpting of the surfaces demands substantial experience and craftsmanship at the highest level. Only through the combination of craft skills, state-of-the-art technology and a sure sense of the personality of each BMW can designers and modellers achieve the overall sculptural effect that lends a BMW its unique character. The BMW M1 Homage systemati

systematically melds the proportions and graphic themes of the BMW M1 with the surface language of the new BMW look – a combination that imbues the vehicle with an exciting, sporty and authentic emotionality.

The front-end styling of the BMW M1 Homage adopts many of the graphic design themes of the BMW M1: the contrast between the black, recessed surfaces and the car colour, the small, squat kidney grille and the “invisible” headlamps. And yet the front of the BMW M1 Homage is an absolute novelty for BMW. Each element assumes a function: the hallmark twin kidney, for example, is not only a distinguishing feature of the BMW brand but combines aerodynamic, cooling-air routing and safety solutions. The design of the headlamps, meanwhile, is a new iteration of the retractable headlights of the BMW M1. Like the lamps on the historic model, those on the BMW M1 Homage are only visible when switched on. When not in use they are discreetly integrated into the front-end design and “disappear” into the recessed black cutline, almost like pop-up headlights.

Along the side of the car all the lines, surfaces and details lead the eye from the front end along the stretched engine compartment and clearly defined A-pillars before converging at the centre of the vehicle. Two expressive lines are drawn from the front along the flanks of the vehicle towards the engine compartment area. The flow of lines begins in a straight, disciplined fashion at the front end, lowering the optical centre of gravity of the BMW M1 Homage and highlighting its low-slung stance. From the middle of the car, however, the lines break up. The power of the design is focused precisely where the power of the vehicle also lies – at the engine. Strong, sensuous sweeping lines accentuate the car’s mid-engine concept, the design emphasising the mechanics behind it, the engineering skills and the engine expertise of the BMW Group.

The roofline of the BMW M1 Homage is flatly tapered, extending into and around the rear. In so doing it draws a continuous line and forms a link between the two sides of the car. It is on this line, above the tail lights, that the hallmark twin BMW logo can also be found.

“Engineering is beautiful – let’s show it!”

The overall design is driven by functionality and each detail has its purpose. Aspects such as aerodynamics, cooling-air routing and safety lend the BMW M1 Homage technical substance and make it a genuine BMW. A telling symbol of this is the kidney grille design of the BMW M1 Homage, fulfilling as it does several functions at the same time. The twin kidney isn’t just a signature BMW feature, it is also part of the car’s honed aerodynamics: it guides the air to the engine cooling as well as constituting the front section of a crash box, similar to the monocoque chassis of a Formula One race car.

Inspired by aircraft design, the car as a whole also boasts sophisticated air ducting through the body. For example, the cooling-air routing for the engine is positioned below the roofline, in the black recessed cutline along the side of the vehicle behind the window graphic. Small flaps and openings guide the air stream into the engine compartment to ensure an adequate supply of cooling air.

Vision and inspiration.

“The BMW M1 Homage clearly manifests the creativity and potential of the BMW Design team. A project such as this is a valuable source of inspiration for our day-to-day work.” Adrian van Hooydonk, Director Design BMW Automobiles

The BMW M1 Homage holds great significance for the BMW Group Design team, its genesis epitomising both a living tradition and an innovative future. This vehicle is designed as a source of inspiration; it sets out to challenge us to question and rethink what we see around us. The BMW M1 Homage pays eloquent tribute to the BMW Turbo and the BMW M1, which in their design were well ahead of their time. Originally slated as “merely” a design study or small series, their influence remains very palpable today – 30 years on.

It's a striking design, and I love that shade of orange! However, it's a concept car, not a production model, so God knows what BMW will change before giving the go-ahead. I'll wait until the "real" car debuts before I pass judgement on the design.

The original M1 was a masterpiece... this just doesn't compare.

Looks like a squashed tuna can with the tuna still in it!

check out this video showing the BMW M1 Hommage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xJ3SGX4WwQ
I know there are more videos about it online already, but this one features the designer behind that car!