According to recent reports BMW is planning to build a new green supercar by 2012. Meant to rival the successful Audi R8 and the upcoming Mercedes SLC, the new supercar will be a pure sports car which will draw heavily on the latest advances in technology and lightweight construction.
The car is expected to a mid-engine design and could potentially be powered by a reworked version of the company’s 3.0 liter engine, instead of the big V8s and V10s of today's BMW M cars. Being a green car means that it would be equipped with fuel saving technologies such as direct injection, brake regeneration and a stop / start system. According to one source the new supercar would have the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of a mid-range 5 series.
The source also indicated that the early design studies were the equivalent of a modern M1, which the company recently paid homage to with the pictured concept.
BMW Supercar Coming in 2012?
A Green M1?
BMW M1 Concept
Comments
stillthewhizz
October 29, 2008 5:33 PM
What's funny about trying to reduce emissions in a supercar? It's a great idea and if they can be the first, it becomes the cars USP. For anyone worried about loss of engine sound at traffic lights, start/stop technology only kicks in when the car is put into neutral. How they'll implement it into an auto or the SMG box that I expect the car to have, I don't know.
engel.ac
October 29, 2008 5:14 PM
This is really intresting. I was in Munich last weekend at the BMW World & Museum and wondered why there was no M1 Homage Concept car. I asked the BMW museum folks about it, they said it was closed away, but eventually goes into production as a hybrid car in 2013 because of the high interest. BTW watch my photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/aixess
Nurchus
October 29, 2008 5:47 PM
I estimate the price of this BMW "supercar" to be $150K+. Yet it will probably perform like any other current POS BMW that should be sold for $23K maximum (except for the overpriced 1 series!).
Decypha
October 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Yes indeed if you are referring to the 2012 EU legislation :'(...
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASE DO NOT EVER CONTEMPLATE MAKING THE BMW SUPERCAR LOOK LIKE THE M1 HOMAGE THINGUM PLEEEEEAAASE!!!!!
alessandro
October 29, 2008 7:34 PM
Will be probably a good one. Somewhere in time around 2012 the M1 will be compared with resurrected Renault Alpine with same fan attitude we know as a R8-idealism. So this car will be much like R8.
Audi_lover
October 29, 2008 11:22 PM
BMW M 'fugly' 1 that's what it is... back to the drawing board!!!
Motor_Yakuza
October 29, 2008 11:31 PM
Kinda ugly this retro design, it worked 4 the US brands, but not for BMW, I think they should draw a futuristic for this supercar.
Wickedated
October 30, 2008 1:37 AM
That's the future of supercars. F-1 technology is already making smaller displacements engines with less comsuption. The era of the V12s is closing to the same end as the manual trasmission. Electric cars have 100% torque on tap at any given rev range (lookup: tesla roadster). Slowly but surely, it'll start sticking. I remember back as early as 10 years ago people mocked and frowned upon DSG or Tiptronic. Now, as few as 10% of cars come out as manual. I think only Porsche still have a 60-40 ratio (manual/tiptronic).
Decypha
October 30, 2008 7:01 AM
Where are you from? 10% of cars come out as manual?
Where I'm from manual cars are still the staple and if you're buying anything smaller than a 5-series, you lose respect if it's not manual...
Motor_Yakuza
October 30, 2008 12:51 PM
LoL , ware it's that in poser-land, ppl should drive any trasmission they want, and what's easy for 'em, and not to give a damn about what other think.
effington
October 30, 2008 6:08 AM
this aint all bad... interesting to see how much it changes by the time production comes around... if ever...
janobr
October 31, 2008 3:51 AM
you can kind of tell its ment to be green by the fairly thin read tires on the pictures, and the lack of big flashy tail pipes
The_woo_factor
November 6, 2008 10:04 AM
I ate a spanner crab last night.....i didnt think it was a BMW supercar!
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