BMW Concepts: The Cars They Could Have
Made 328 Hommage
A
true, lightweight sports car that was close to its roots, the 328 Hommage was the perfect modern take on an old
icon.
We
reckon this was BMW concept styling at its very best and although we only know
it was powered by a straight-six you can bet it would have been a whole lot of
fun to drive.
76 years ago sent BMW, the
BMW 328 the road. Ultra light, ultra fast and ultra-successful. In 2011, the
Roadster celebrates his comeback - as a tribute BMW 328.
In our
opinion, this could quite possibly be the best- looking concept car that BMW
ever built. As the name suggests, it was a concept created to pay homage to the
legendary and very successful BMW 328 of the 1930s. Back in 2011 it was the
original model's 75th birthday so the idea was to recreate the 328 in a modern
style but with a nostalgic feel.
Inside the cabin technology is subtle
and unobtrusive. All aspects are molded around the driver for premium comfort
behind the wheel.
Designed with
performance in mind the car was made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic,
following on from the valuable experience gained making the M3's roof panels,
so the whole thing weighed in at just 780kg. Styling was heavily inspired by
the original but it was now much wider, lower and meaner.
The front
shares the same tall kidney grille design together with the large, round single
headlights and four-leather straps adorned the side of the front wings to mimic
the bonnet straps used on the 1930s 328.
The side
profile was wonderfully elegant thanks to the long bonnet and short rear end
design and it was set off against oversized two-piece wheels that somehow work
perfectly.
The large,
streamlined headrests dominated the rear half of the car and the rear end
itself was a lot more modern in design.
Inside was
also a great mix of old and new. There were just the two seats, finished in tan
leather, which extended up around the cabin. The split windscreen allowed room
for the rear-view mirror and instead of one single instrument panel to display
everything as usual, there were two iPhones located in custom holders like
stopwatches to record lap times.
The stunning wheel design is classic
1930’s styling with a modern twist that offers improved driving dynamics at
high speeds
Despite the
fantastic looks the car wasn't exactly what you might call practical, though.
There was no foldaway roof hiding behind the rear body work and those large
recesses at the side are there to allow access in and out of the car as there
aren't actually any doors. Still, it looks like a lot of fun to us although BMW
was shy to enlighten us what kind of engine and running gear would power the
Hommage, or at least in any detail. The only mention of power was a
six-cylinder straight-six but as for horsepower that was anyone's guess. The
pictures seem to suggest it was an automatic gearbox, though, which is a little
disappointing. Rest assured it would have been fast regardless due to the extra
light body.
We really
wish BMW would give ideas like this a go once in a while. It would be brave but
they certainly add a bit of spice into the line-up of saloons and SAVs. The
more radical i8 was given the go ahead so why couldn't we see something like
this? It seems a real shame when you consider how good it looked •
