EXCLUSIVE: BMW’s Electric Supercar Was Approved This Year—Until It Wasn’t

BMW has ventured into the supercar realm once again this year, but unfortunately, it seems the project has fallen short of approval. Within BMW’s design studios, there’s a long-standing belief: the toughest challenge isn’t building a luxury sedan or an electric SUV—it’s convincing the board to greenlight a supercar. Despite the legendary M1 proving its worth decades after its debut, BMW’s journey into this high-performance segment has been a tale of persistence and repeated near-misses.

Many Previous Supercar Attempts

Supercars and hypercars have never been the foundation of BMW’s brand. Instead, the company has thrived by perfecting the balance between performance and practicality in its M cars. The M1, though iconic today, initially struggled to find its audience. Fast-forward to recent times, and BMW’s struggles with supercar concepts persist. The failed i16 project from last year and various unapproved designs from the late ’80s are just a few examples.

1,300 HP, All-Electric

Yet, BMW keeps pushing. In this decade of electric mobility, the company took another shot at the elusive supercar. With the EV market booming just a few years ago, BMW’s executives in Munich began exploring the idea of a cutting-edge hypercar. A project team was assembled, and an actual clay model was crafted to showcase the vision: a sleek, electrifying supercar boasting approximately 1,300 horsepower. The design was sporty, daring, and unmistakably futuristic, according to our sources.

Initially, the project gained traction within the company. Sources say it came tantalizingly close to approval. However, challenges surrounding profitability and technological feasibility needed to be addressed. Ultimately, the board decided to pause the project. The recent downturn in global EV sales and waning consumer interest in high-priced electric vehicles raised serious concerns about the market viability of an electric supercar.

While the idea of a BMW supercar excites enthusiasts, an all-electric version might not have been the ideal direction for the brand. This setback could open the door for BMW to reevaluate its strategy. Instead of focusing on an EV hypercar, the company now has the chance to consider developing an internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered supercar. BMW already has a potent powertrain in its arsenal: the EURO7-compliant S68 4.4-liter V8 engine. When paired with a lightweight carbon-fiber chassis (if that’s still a thing in Munich), this engine could deliver a supercar worthy of the BMW badge.

So, what’s next? Will BMW return to the drawing board and revisit the EV concept, or will it embrace its engineering heritage and craft a high-performance ICE supercar? For now, the future remains uncertain. One thing, however, is clear: enthusiasts shouldn’t expect a modern M1 successor to hit the roads anytime soon.

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com

Source: BMW BLOG