BMW 328 Hommage Concept
BMW is showing off what it calls the BMW 328 Hommage Concept, a two-seat sports car. The BMW 328 Hommage Concept car is intended to recognize the 75th anniversary of the original BMW 328, a radical and coveted BMW of its time.
More exciting than the BMW 328, at least to auto geeks trying to divine the future, is that BMW has installed two iPhones in the BMW 328 Hommage Concept dashboard. And not for calls, but to use as stopwatches, needed for rallying and some racing, and to show other key information.
Auto-futurists foresee a time when the driver plugs his or her iPhone, iPad or similar device into a dashboard dock. The device would contain all the driver's settings and preferences, instantly customizing the car.
BMW is mum about the likelihood of producing the BMW 328 Hommage, although if the company is playing by the usual rules, designating it a "concept" means there is at least a shadow of a chance it could reach showrooms.
The BMW 328 Hommage concept was created in honor of the 75th anniversary of the venerable BMW 328, considered by many to be not only the best looking sports car of the 1930s but also one of the most successful on the track. The BMW 328 was the embodiment of what the BMW brand still stands for today – dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation.
In its day, the BMW 328 was noted for its lightweight design, powerful inline six-cylinder engine and responsive handling. The expressive exterior design of the BMW 328 Hommage depicts the modern interpretation of a highly emotional and dynamic two-seater Roadster – just like the BMW 328 75 years ago.
The BMW 328 Hommage is the modern embodiment of those attributes. Translating the idea of lightweight construction into this day and age, most of the exterior and interior of the BMW 328 Hommage are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The CFRP used on the BMW 328 Hommage is visible to the eye. The entire interior structure is also made of CFRP.
As did its predecessor, the 328 Hommage uses BMW's most powerful inline six-cylinder engine, continuing another longstanding BMW tradition.
