BMW M1 Hommage

It's difficult to really get a handle on a car unless you see it in context and in person. But let me discuss something a little more current. Recently, BMW rolled out the M1 Hommage. It has some interesting details, some creative surfacing and of course, impressive proportions.

This new concept has some aspects that seem M1 - the front grille, the peekaboo lights, the oversized rear deck cut line and and of course the double rear emblems.

I did notice a couple things that stuck out though. This car has some awkward yet familiar things going on. How about the front corners - don't they feel reminiscent of the Brera? The sharp edges all meeting at the corner and the small, crisp eye opening. What about the side view? I'm getting um...Vector/Avtech WX3? Ok, maybe that's a stretch but it's just a feeling I have!

I also think it's missing a few things that would connect it to the original even more - and most of them occur in side view:

1. The side view is missing one of the most distinctive details that wraps around the whole car. This strip divides the body work into two halves and makes the body mass seem lighter. The new car is not only missing this detail but severely needs it. The mass of the body side is overwhelming and could use some tricks to lighten it up - I've added a new take on this and it flows nicely with the complex surfacing. Another trick to lighten up the rocker, is some lower black areas that not only make the car lighter looking but also more dynamic.

2. If you're going to do the rear deck cut line/intake in side view, why not put a new BMW twist on it. I've added a dynamic upper line to this intake and put back another very distinctive detail in the original- the side louvers.

3. BMW is one of those companies that is always trying to make their front overhangs as short as possible. Here, I think it's hurting the car. I've extended the nose (insert GHASP!) by quite a bit and angled the nose down even more.

4. This is obviously a styling exercise, thus the solid model. So I think this is what gave me the feeling of the Avtech- the fact that it looks a bit fake - it happens. One of the things that's causing this is the wheel well shape in side view. The car doesn't have a great stance because of these wells. I've changed them and put a bit of an upper bulge at about 10 and 2 o'clock on front and back. This visually hugs the tires a bit better and brings the body work in at the bottom.

5. Another area I tweaked is the side glass and intake. The original M1 side glass had a very distinctive shape. Aren't all BMWs supposed to have the Hockey Puck anyways? I added an updated shape to the DLO and it went nicely with the large cut line/intake as well.

6. I also added a couple more details that hark back to the M1 - such as the front quarter panel side marker light. The production car (ha, ha) has to have one so why not add it to the side strip and make it that much more believable. Oh, and since when did any European car have chrome wheels? So I toned those babies down!

There you have it - my virtual massaging of the M1 Hommage! Let me restate that this concept has some innovative things happening despite it's connection to the past. This also goes to show you how iconic the original was - and still is.