BMW
328 Hommage
The
extreme open-topped two-seater is designed to commemorate the 75th birthday of
the BMW 328 racing car, which still holds the highest average speed around the
classic Mille Miglia circuit.
“With
the BMW 328 Hommage, we wish to pay homage to the passion and inventiveness of
the fathers of the BMW 328,” said BMW Group Classic CEO Karl Baumer. “They
created an icon which is considered a milestone in the history of the
automobile.”
The
3.0-litre straight six-powered concept makes extensive use of carbon
fibre-reinforced plastic, a material already used by BMW in the M6 and M3, and
one that’s likely to feature in its forthcoming range of i eco-models. Indeed,
the show car’s bodywork uses the carbon weave pattern as a design cue; it’s not
covered up by any paint, a move that also fits with the 328’s ethos of light
weight.
The
styling apes the looks of the original 328, incorporating key BMW design
elements such as the double kidney grille - but there are also strong overtones
from the Vision ConnectedDrive roadster that was revealed at the Geneva show
earlier this year. The rear has a particularly angular tail, with lights that
echo the look of the Vision ED eco-supercar that’s earmarked for production.
Other
design cues include a slightly asymmetric windscreen - a nod to early racing
machinery - and four leather straps which run across the bonnet, disappearing
at the top of the side panels and then re-emerging near the deep surfacing at
the bottom of each flank. In common with many racing cars, there are no doors.
BMW
has declined to issue any technical details beyond the engine size and type,
and no performance figures have been issued. Nor is the car likely to make
production. But much of its styling language will influence the production
Vision ED, and BMW’s MegaCity EV.
Souce
: autocar.co.uk
