BMW M confirms it has something special on the way this year
Last month, Australia’s WhichCar reported BMW M was working on a production Hommage special edition of the first M legend, the 3.0 CSL that became known as the “Batmobile.” Based on the M4 CSL, it would be limited to 50 units, make 600 horsepower instead of the M4 CSL’s 543 as well as 516 pound-feet of torque, and hit 60 in 3.5. Price was rumored to be well into six figures — as in, closer to one million than one hundred thousand. BMW Blog reports that at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, VP of BMW M marketing Timo Resch avowed that yes, M does have another birthday present for itself coming this year. It’s the first time M has admitted to such. Resch wouldn’t say what it is, but odds makers are all betting on it being the Batmobile Hommage.
The coming gem will be based on the M4 CSL chassis, but designers have reportedly been given freedom to redesign any body panel that won’t require submitting to the road car homologation process again. Since this is being billed as proper successor to the 3.0, not merely a nod toward, it’s possible we could see something reminiscent of the 3.0 CLS Hommage concepts BMW showed in 2015. One of those was a standard version in Golf Yellow, the other a brutalist version called the Hommage R (pictured) dressed in M’s trademark red, black, blue and white. Both were seriously tasty.
Everyone agrees that rear-wheel drive will be the only drivetrain, but there’s conflicting info about what happens between the S58 3.0-liter inline-six and the back axle. WhichCar said the torque figure fell near the maximum twist amount ZF’s eight-speed automatic could deal with. BMW Blog reports the only gearbox offered will be a manual transmission. We have little expectation of seeing the car outside of press photos and occasional YouTube videos, but we’d still cheer the inclusion of a manual from afar. M having to fortify a row-your-own gearbox that could handle the output would also help justify the coupe’s rumored €750,000 price.
Target weight is thought to be nearly another 220 pounds lighter than the M4 CSL, taking lightweighting measures to extremes like all carbon bodywork, one-piece seats, a “printed rudimentary back-to-basics instrument panel and a tiny starter battery.”
The original 3.0 CSL debuted in May 1972. We’ve no word on a debut date for its next generation, called “a racing car for the street, a near-supercar which is more emotional to drive, look at and listen to than any other road-legal BMW.”
And on the side of all this, BMW has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a modular battery-electric sports car platform with McLaren. The new team in charge at McLaren is said to have approved the development of a McLaren SUV, the release timeline and industry trends suggesting it will either be electric or offer an electric powertrain.
