Name a more iconic duo — we’ll wait. Jokes aside, BMW Museum visitors are in for a real treat as the M1 sits alongside its modern-day equivalent. Unlike its source of inspiration, M’s tribute to the one and only supercar sadly never made it to production. Although mid-engined like its forebear, the Hommage actually borrowed the front and rear axles from the front-engined E63 6 Series.
Much like the E26, which underwent a tumultuous development process, the follow-up concept from 2008 faced its own set of challenges. BMW designed and built it in just four months to be ready in time for the 2008 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, celebrating 30 years since the original M1’s debut. Had it gone into production, the Liquid Orange stunner was supposed to get a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 engine. Yes, the high-revving S85 from the E60 M5 and E63 M6.
But the Hommage never saw the light of day, so seeing it up close will always be a special occasion. Admiring the one-off as it sits next to the Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned M1 is the icing on the cake. We still prefer the original, but that doesn’t make Benoit Jacob’s work any less impressive. Looking at the concept, it’s hard to believe the design is already 17 years old. Its predecessor has aged like fine wine as well.
Since the M1 Hommage, BMW has revisited the idea of a supercar a few times. It came close to green-lighting a flagship performance machine around the turn of the decade. The 2019 Vision M Next was supposed to become a production model, but the project was canned a year later due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Vision M Next had evolved into the “I16” project during the 12 months following the concept’s reveal. BMW engineered the mid-engined supercar using the i8’s composite structure before ultimately pulling the plug. We got the XM instead. Why? We recall a statement from a few years back:
“The BMW M1 was a perfect fit for its era, while the BMW XM is tailor-made for today’s customers. In former times, sports cars were extremely appealing to a broad range of customers and highly relevant for car manufacturers. However, customers around the world today are looking for SAVs/SUVs that deliver practicality and high performance in one luxurious package. These vehicles have the potential to significantly drive growth for car manufacturers moving forward.”
Long story short, BMW figured it would make more money with a polarizing SUV than with an M1 successor. However, XM sales figures haven’t exactly been great. We’re still holding out hope for another supercar. If the company has buyers lined up for the €500,000 M8-based Speedtop and Skytop, there should be a business case for a seven-figure range-topper. Lest we forget, the €750,000 M4 CSL was also a resounding success, so now is as good a time as any to bring a new M1 to market.
Photos: BMW Welt / Instagram