Instead of the XM, this could also have been the spiritual successor to the M1 and the BMW i8: the head of BMW design shares sketches of a stillborn i8 replacement.
In BMW's long history you can point to numerous iconic models, but there has actually only been one 'supercar' with a mid-engine. Whether the BMW M1 ever had a successor depends on who you ask. If you ask BMW, the current You could also say that the BMW i8 was a kind of M1 successor.
BMW i8
The BMW i8 did not necessarily have the engine and power of a supercar, with its 1.5 liter three-cylinder Mini Cooper engine with hybrid unit. Okay, this one squeezed out a decent 462 hp, but so did a BMW M3 at the time. Some fans draw a comparison between the M1 and the i8, especially in terms of proportions and exotic looks. The i8 was therefore intended to make hybrid/electric 'cool'.
BMW i16
BMW retired the i8 in 2020 and a successor was officially ready. At least, BMW had a car on the drawing board that actually succeeded three different models. This was (unofficially) called i16 and would be presented as a concept in 2020. Those sketches are only now seeing the light of day thanks to BMW design chief Domagoj Dukec.
Dukec shares the above concept car on his Instagram page. It's called i16 and as mentioned you can see it as the spiritual successor of three cars. The i8, of which the i16 is also the majority greenhouse because the i16 was intended as the successor to the i8 as a hybrid or electric sports car.
However, we certainly also see some M1 in the BMW i16, especially at the rear. The symmetrically placed logos above the taillights, but also how the rear ends with a striking engine cover and the 'cove' in the area above the taillights.
The third car is the above BMW Vision M NEXT Concept from 2019. You might have recognized the red accents and wheels from it. Dukec also indicates that the i16 is actually an evolution of the Vision M NEXT in a slightly more common form. That explains why the cars look alike and why the i16 was really prepared for production.
Stillborn
As mentioned, the BMW i16 dates back to 2020 and the production version would be on its way by then. However, time tells us that BMW has shot down the i16 and it will probably stay that way. Dukec cites the 'changing times' that the year 2020 brought as the main reason. Every brand had to make concessions and for BMW it meant that more profitable models had to be built. Corona has destroyed more than you would like…
An eternal shame, because a real successor to the M1 is still in the future for BMW. It remains to be seen whether the Bavarians will ever dare to do it.
This article BMW designer shares successor to the BMW i8 first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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