75 years ago, a star was born, or something like that. Really, a car was born. The BMW 328, which still holds the world record for highest average speed on the famed Mille Miglia circuit, set back in 1940, has been brought back to us in a newer, carbon fiber form to celebrate its 75th birthday – the BMW 328 Hommage.
The 328 Hommage is appropriately named, as homage refers to ‘a dedication to something’. Brought back to life with a carbon fiber body, the 328 Hommage carries on the tradition of the 328’s original lightness. While the Hommage actually weighs more than the original, at just 1,720 pounds, the chief of design for BMW group, Adrian van Hooydonk, says this is because the original carried almost zero safety equipment and consisted of an all aluminum body. The 328 Hommage also features leather straps on the exterior, just like the original 328.
“With the BMW 328 Hommage, we wish to pay homage to the passion and inventiveness of the fathers of the BMW 328”, explains Karl Bäumer, CEO of BMW Group Classic. “They created an icon, which is considered a milestone in the history of the automobile.”
In order to correctly translate the lightweight ideology behind the 328, the majority of the exterior and interior of the 328 Hommage are made completely out of carbon fiber. And contrary to many things made out of carbon fiber, in the Hommage, it is all visible. The body, the dash, the foot wells and even the wild alloy wheels incorporate visible carbon fiber detailing.
Powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, the BMW 328 Hommage has no doors so deep recesses allow access to the inside of the car. And”from the front it appears to be standing upright. The kidney grille bars are more prominently curved than the kidney grille surround itself. The vehicle displays the extremely round and appealing design of the original BMW 328 kidney grille when viewed from the side. The kidney grille surround is also distinctively three-dimensional, appearing to continue inside the vehicle. Its front surface is finished in polished high-gloss, whilst the side surfaces have a matte finish. This detail gives the kidney grille a very high-class and up-to-date appearance. Behind the kidney grille bars, black horizontal fins obstruct the view into the engine compartment – just like on the 328 of 75 years ago,” as stated in a press release.
This two-person, open-top concept car’s characteristics embodies what BMW stands for today; dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation. Although its crucial to remember, this concept car will likely never go into production and is just a carbon fiber treat for the eyes.
To see more pictures, check out the gallery on Autoblog.
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[Source: Autoblog]