2011 BMW 328 Hommage

Pop quiz time: What vehicle holds the highest average speed on the famed Mille Miglia circuit? A BMW 328. Their average speed was 103 miles per hour, and it was set way back in 1940. That car, the BMW 328, is a legend in the automaker's halls, and was named one of the 25 greatest cars of the century. This year marks the 328's 75th birthday, so BMW has prepared a unique concept car to pay tribute to one of its own iconic vehicles.

Dubbed the BMW 328 Hommage, this ultra-lightweight sports car was built to mirror the principles used to create the original 328. The 328 Hommage weighs in at a svelte 1,720 pounds, accomplished through the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. While CFRP wasn't exactly around in the 30's and 40's, BMW engineers of that era kept the 328 light through the use of aluminum and magnesium. Both cars are cut from a similar cloth to achieve a lightweight end result, even if the methods to get there are very different.

Many design elements are shared between both cars. The original 328 was one of the earliest BMW vehicles to show off the now familiar kidney grilles. Those grilles nearly jump off the face of the 328 Hommage. Out back, the wide-set taillamps help close off the wide stance that runs the length of both versions.

BMW casually mentions that the 328 Hommage is powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. Yet, we have no word on any potential output figures or what type of transmission it might be connected to. Of course, BMW fans might remember that the automaker built a similar concept a few years ago. It was called the Mille Miglia Concept Coupe. Stunning at the time, the 328 Hommage ups the wow factor several notches.

На международном шоу предметов роскоши Villa d’Este Concours в Италии компания BMW представила совершенно новый концепт 328 Hommage. Как сообщает британский Autoexpress, двухместный открытый автомобиль выполнен в ретростиле и посвящен 75-летию легендарного гоночного BMW 328. От оригинала трибьют унаследовал такие характерные черты, как асимметричное лобовое стекло и кожаные ремни, закрепляющие крышку капота (правда, в случае концепта они носят декоративный характер), а также малый вес – всего 780 кг.

О сегодняшнем дне напоминает материал, из которого изготовлен кузов 328 Hommage, – сверхлегкий углепластик, а также 3,0-литровый рядный шестицилиндровый двигатель, характеристики которого BMW не раскрывает. Однако они не так важны, поскольку родстеру предстоит остаться шоу-каром, существующим в единственном экземпляре.