Could it be that BMW is finally giving us a long-belated spiritual successor to the M1? Or is this just a future two-door electric coupe? Clearly, last week’s spy shots of a supercar-like prototype took everyone by surprise. And while maybe that wasn’t a fully fledged supercar, it sure looked like a dedicated sports car. Whatever the case may be, we’ve now tried to imagine what was hiding underneath the camouflage. How do we even know that was a BMW? Well, aside from the tiny kidney grille and the typical camo pattern used by the German luxury brand, the test car was clearly exhibiting Neue Klasse design cues. It appeared to fuse styling traits from the Vision Neue Klasse concepts with the silhouette of the 2019 M Vision Next. The latter almost became the I16 but BMW ultimately pulled the plug on the project in 2020.

Much like the mysterious car spotted a few days ago, our hypothetical electric coupe from Bavaria has full-size side mirrors and windshield wipers. Those are typically seen on prototypes that preview a production model. Hopefully, that’s the case here as well. Perhaps BMW wants to make a splash with its Neue Klasse platform by putting a performance vehicle front and center. When the company signaled its EV efforts in the early 2010s, the i3 and i8 fulfilled that role by being significantly different than the regular products.

The test car seemingly had a quad-motor setup with hub motors since the brake calipers weren’t visible. That indicates a high total output, which wouldn’t come as a big surprise. Back in September 2022, BMW told us it had the technology for a sporty EV with over 1,300 horsepower. Lest we forget that BMW i Ventures is investing $16.1 million in DeepDrive. It’s a German startup that has engineered a radial flux dual-rotor electric motor for in-wheel applications.

If the higher-ups from Munich have given a future supercar the green light, it’s unlikely to be a regular production model. We reckon it would end up as a limited-run vehicle with an exorbitant price tag. It’ll be interesting to see if this will become the most expensive new BMW ever. To claim the title, it would have to cost more than the €750,000 the company reportedly charged for the 3.0 CSL.

For now, this prototype could simply by an i4 type of vehicle with the Neue Klasse design language.

[Renders: @futurecarsnow]