BMW this week unveiled the M Coupé-based Concept Coupé Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy. The showpiece comprises a melange of new and old design cues… some from the contemporary Z4 Coupé and others from one of BMW’s most famous racing cars, the 328.
BMW this week unveiled the M Coupé-based Concept Coupé Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy. The showpiece comprises a melange of new and old design cues… some from the contemporary Z4 Coupé and others from one of BMW’s most famous racing cars, the 328.
The Mille Miglia was resurrected in 1977 as an annual rally to celebrate one of the world’s most famous automotive races. All models that competed between 1927 and 1957 were permitted an entry and the Munich-based marque’s latest concept pays tribute to the 22 BMWs that have entered this year’s event, in particular the BMW 328 Touring Coupé, which won the 1940 Mille Miglia with an average speed of 166,7 km/h – a record that still stands today (although later Mille Miglia courses weren’t as fast as the one used in ’40).
According to the manufacturer, its designers took a step back in time and formed the BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia 2006 from plaster models rather than clay. The concept’s hinged hard-top roof is a reference to the relaxation of the Le Mans rules (when sports-racing cars moved from soft- to hard-top constructions). That precipitated the development of the 328 Touring Coupé from its roadster origins, allowing the model to develop further as a lightweight “bespoke” racing car. The principle function of the hinged system, which also raises the cockpit, negated the requirement for doors (reducing weight) and increased torsional stiffness.
The circular headlamps (inspired by the shape of the 328’s units) are not integrated into the body of the car, but attached as flat elements. Furthermore, the car’s side panels and rear section were designed “to allow turbulence-free flow of air up to the tail”. Carbon-fibre underbody fins and diffusers on the front and rear aprons contribute to the concept’s aerodynamic characteristics and air intakes in the A-pillars, arranged in a slim Z-line, reportedly “direct cooling air to the engine, contribute to developing downforce and reducing the turbulence at the wheel housings”.
To construct the car’s lightweight chassis an aluminium shell was “stretched” over a lattice frame. The body is constructed from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic and, as a nod to the past, its was painted in “fine silver” – a full-gloss paint colour with extremely fine pigments that hints to classic silver race colours.
The car is powered by BMW’s multiple award-winning 252 kW 3,2-litre 24-valve straight six engine, but modifications have been made to the inlet and exhaust systems of the unit to give the concept car a “racing sound” at both idle and full throttle.
The concept has a modified drivetrain and suspension from the new Z4 M Coupé. However, its body is 23 centimetres longer, and four centimetres lower than BMW’s latest sports car. It rides on bespoke 20-inch alloy wheels on 245/40 R 20 tyres.
For the interior, only three materials were used – thin stainless steel, untreated cowhides and Lycra fabric. Letterings, logos and symbols were embossed into surfaces using laser technology, BMW said.