There will always be secrets the BMW enthusiast will never know. For an automaker with such an illustrious history, we can only imagine how many cars were left on the proverbial cutting room floor. In some happy situations, hidden gems are uncovered. Such is the case with one of several M1 successors that never happened. Say hello to a failed revival of the E26, created seven years after the original was retired.
There Were Several M1 Successors
An unseen design sketch of an abandoned mid-engine supercar appears in a new video from Joe Achilles. The Youtuber had the opportunity to chat with Steve Saxty about his “BMW by Design” book. At one point, we get to see this flagship performance car sketched back in 1988. Japanese designer Joji Nagashima worked on “one of the many M1s that never happened,” according to the book’s author.
It has mid-engine proportions, but its design is vastly different from Paul Bracq’s 1972 Turbo concept and Giorgetto Giugiaro’s 1978 M1. The wheel design does recall BMW’s first and only supercar, while the short nose and side vents suggest the engine is in the back. While the M1 comes from the spectacular wedge era, this one has a more curvaceous shape. Echoing the Turbo concept, the car was envisioned with rear wheel covers.
Little else is known about the car, although it does look like it was known internally as the “M188.” Since it had its own codename, perhaps it was more than just a sketch from the talented Nagashima. On the other hand, logic tells us the “M188” moniker comes from M1 and 1988, the year when the sketch was created.
The Japanese designer’s work on production BMW models includes the Z3, 3 Series E90 (sedan and wagon), and the classy 5 Series E39. He was also involved in the bonkers 1996 ZBF project, which depicted an ultra-luxury sedan above the 7 Series.
Two decades after the M1 replacement that never was, BMW revisited the idea for a supercar with the M1 Hommage. Of course, that’s assuming there weren’t other sketches and/or concepts between 1988 and 2008, which seems unlikely. The M1 Hommage never got the green light either, nor did the Vision M Next or the subsequent I16. Instead, we got the XM…
You can see more about the books here at stevesaxty.com, both book and set are available for immediate delivery. Source: Joe Achilles / YouTube / Images provided by Steve Saxty from BMW]
