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12:32 AM
BMW strongly considering ‘green’ supercar
Rafay Ansar
BMW is considering pouring its high-performance ambitions into a “breakthrough green supercar,” according to a company insider. These latest rumors follow a report from late October of a similar nature. The vehicle being described would purportedly be based on the M1 Homage Concept that was considered for production as a conventional supercar but eventually cancelled.
The car, if approved, would be a “puristic two-seater” designed using the latest “lightweight build processes,” the source told AutoWeek. The ultimate goal is to build an exotic sports car with a “whole new level of environmental compatibility.”
The source said BMW feels it can accomplish this goal using technology and materials that are “already in wide use” at present in other industries. The basic structure would be aluminum, but much of the body would be composed of carbon fiber. Total vehicle weight would be under 3,000 lbs.
BMW is said to be exploring both mid- and front-engine proposals. The company is said to be considering a 3.0-liter V6 with variable-vane turbochargers, possibly coupled to an electric motor for added power under heavy acceleration — effectively creating a type of parallel hybrid.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has not given the green light to any such project yet, but it certainly sounds like a green supercar is a serious consideration in Munich.
The car, if approved, would be a “puristic two-seater” designed using the latest “lightweight build processes,” the source told AutoWeek. The ultimate goal is to build an exotic sports car with a “whole new level of environmental compatibility.”
The source said BMW feels it can accomplish this goal using technology and materials that are “already in wide use” at present in other industries. The basic structure would be aluminum, but much of the body would be composed of carbon fiber. Total vehicle weight would be under 3,000 lbs.
BMW is said to be exploring both mid- and front-engine proposals. The company is said to be considering a 3.0-liter V6 with variable-vane turbochargers, possibly coupled to an electric motor for added power under heavy acceleration — effectively creating a type of parallel hybrid.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has not given the green light to any such project yet, but it certainly sounds like a green supercar is a serious consideration in Munich.
