Buckle up, BMW fanatics, as a result of at this time we’re peering into the beating coronary heart of BMW design with the launch of “BMW Behind The Scenes,” a three-book masterpiece by acclaimed automotive writer Steve Saxty. This isn’t only a espresso desk assortment; it’s a portal to 80 years of automotive artistry. Put together to lose your self in lots of of never-before-seen photographs and sketches, every stroke pulsating with the eagerness of visionary designers. Saxty, a former automotive design engineer himself, navigated this journey with Head of BMW Group Design Adrian van Hooydonk as his information. They delved deep into BMW’s archives, unlocking a treasure trove of secrets and techniques for us to witness. A kind of by no means seen BMW fashions is an i8 successor constructed underneath the challenge identify I16. The guide discloses a possible identify that was into account for the manufacturing collection automotive: BMW iM.

BMW iM or the I16 Undertaking

Saxty’s books totally reveal the automotive exhibiting renders of what would have been a manufacturing collection successor of the BMW i8. A crew of three designers labored on the automotive to design it within the span of 12 months, a formidable achievement. The outside design was penned by Jose Casas, recognized for a number of new BMWs, just like the BMW M2 G87. The guide additional reveals that the automotive was based mostly on the BMW Imaginative and prescient M Subsequent idea. The concept was to take the composite construction of the BMW i8 and reimagine it into a contemporary M1. The guide reveals much more photos of the BMW I16 challenge.

As we reported up to now, the drivetrain was purported to be a plug-in hybrid, a mixture of a four-cylinder engine up entrance with an electrical motor within the rear. Complete energy output? 536 horsepower (400kW). The engine compartment had the potential to accommodate the B58 six-cylinder engine, however the i8 chassis’s width posed a compatibility problem for its integration.

Supercar Design

The BMW iM was greater than an i8 successor although. It was purported to be BMW’s future supercar, and its design mirrored that. Whereas a number of the i8 options had been current within the BMW iM, others had been merely paying homage to the enduring BMW M1. The BMW i8 facet glass and windshield had been repurposed, however the remainder of the design was based mostly on the M Imaginative and prescient Subsequent. It had conventional, small kidney grilles, single headlamps as a substitute of the 2 skinny lights on the idea, and a rear-end resembling the M1. It was pipeless, however the rear finish was completely gorgeous. The guide reveals the automotive in an all-black colour scheme, but additionally within the silver-orange paint of the idea automotive.

But, the market was shifting in direction of high-end SUVs, and the COVID-19 pandemic put the ultimate nail within the coffin. The BMW iM was lifeless! Former head of R&D Klaus Frolich gathered the crew in 2020 and delivered the information. As a substitute, the design and engineering crew was assigned to a brand new challenge – the BMW XM – which grew to become the halo automotive for the BMW M model.

So should you’re thinking about studying extra about what went behind the scenes, then the three-volume boxed set will likely be accessible quickly – at a pre-order value of $299.95/€239/£78.11. Alternatively, the principal guide, “BMW by Design” is offered instantly for $99.95/€90.02/£88.10; all with free delivery in USA, UK and EU.

[Photos Provided by Steve Saxty, courtesy of BMW]