Over the years, BMW has created numerous high-performance vehicles, but the M1 produced between 1978 and 1981 remains its sole true supercar. That status may not last much longer. During the Le Mans weekend, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel and BMW M Head of Design Oliver Heilmer revealed to BMW Blog that they have long envisioned building a modern-day version of the M1.
Most of their nearly thirty-minute discussion focused on the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse, which is expected to become BMW’s first fully electric M model — a major milestone for the brand. Yet, toward the end of the interview, a question from the BMW community shifted the conversation in a new direction.
When asked, “If you both had to develop a dream car outside of current vehicle offerings, with no budget constraints, and could get it approved tomorrow, what would it be?” Heilmer immediately responded with “the M1.” Without missing a beat, van Meel agreed, stating that he too would choose to build an M1.
Van Meel elaborated that although he deeply admires the original M1, his vision would be for an entirely new interpretation. There’s little doubt that enthusiasts would be thrilled by the idea of a next-generation BMW supercar. It’s also almost certain that a new M1 wouldn’t carry over the naturally aspirated inline-six engine or pop-up headlights of the original, but that wouldn’t prevent it from being an extraordinary performance machine.
This isn’t the first time BMW has alluded to a possible M1 successor. In 2008, the automaker showcased the BMW M1 Homage concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este to mark the 30th anniversary of the original M1. Some of the Homage’s design details later influenced the production BMW i8. Should a new M1 materialise, it would likely adopt BMW’s Neue Klasse design language and feature an electrified powertrain.
For now, all of this remains in the realm of aspiration and speculation. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to know that the head of BMW’s M division shares the same dream as many fans. Perhaps one day, that dream will take shape on the road.
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