BMW, and the brand’s performance M division, is ready to introduce a hypercar rival to the Mercedes-AMG Project One, if they receive a go-ahead from BMW vice-president Dirk Hacker. However, the brand has confirmed that there are no concrete plans to do so as yet.
The Project One was recently unveiled at Frankfurt with a petrol-hybrid powertrain borrowed from the marque’s current Formula 1 race car. The 1.6-litre F1 engine with the electric motors produces a combined 1,000hp.
“We would like to do a standalone car and we could do it - but today there is no requirement from the market to do it,” said Hacker. “As a company, we are more focused on future mobility than digitisation than building a hypercar, to be honest, but if we came to the decision to do a super sportscar, then we could do that.”
In the recent past, the German manufacturer has asked more than a few leading motorsport teams – including some that have an in-depth knowledge of F1 – to evaluate a return to the Le Mans endurance racing series with an LMP1 model. However, the brand is believed to have settled on racing more production-spec models in lower classes, while focusing their budget on the all-electric Formula E championship.
Hacker conceded that an electrified halo car could have some appeal, but stressed that any such hypercar would be some way off production. “Formula E could be interesting for us. M cars have roots in racing,” he said. “It will be an interesting challenge as more OEMs get involved and there could certainly be the opportunity for some input from our engineering department in the series.”
BMW has plans to introduce 12 all-electric models in its international line-up by 2025, indicating that an opportunity to introduce a halo electric vehicle may be on the cards.
Also see: Mercedes-AMG Project One image gallery