July 11, 2023 | Volume 19 Issue 26 |
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BMW's latest concept car is a slick two-door affair that looks like a mashup of their Z4 roadster up front and a mod station wagon in back. The Concept Touring Coupe is a one-off build that has a real chance of making it to production. It brings the old-style shooting brake into the future while maintaining a high-end, timeless quality that is effortlessly appealing. The car made its debut at a fancy car show in Italy in May, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2023.
The hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind BMW Concept Touring Coupe marries a body concept steeped in tradition with the technology of a purist modern-day sports car. According to BMW, the car's proportions and name are reminiscent of the BMW 328 Touring Coupe that won the Mille Miglia endurance race back in 1940. The functionality of the shooting-brake concept is a nod to the BMW 02 Series model variants of the early 1970s, which featured "Touring" in their name to distinguish them from sedans.
Viewed from the side, the BMW-typical interpretation of the shooting-brake proportions is clearly recognizable. The long hood, streamlined roof contours, and powerful rear section form a distinctive two-box design, while the elongated side window graphic with the Hofmeister kink and flared rear wheel arches underline its sporty elegance.
The BMW Concept Touring Coupe is powered by the brand's hallmark 340-hp six-cylinder, turbocharged in-line engine, with performance characteristics and refinement that confirm its status as a symbol of the company's "pure, unadulterated Sheer Driving Pleasure." The configuration includes an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The Sparkling Lario exterior paintwork was created especially for the BMW Concept Touring Coupe. Its embedded flakes of blue glass give its grey-brown hues a unique illusion of depth. The effect is complemented by silver-bronze accents and a specially designed BMW kidney grille with longitudinal bars. The exclusive light-alloy wheels, measuring 20 in. at the front and 21 in. at the rear, feature a 20-spoke radial design.
Inside, the interior ambience of the BMW Concept Touring Coupe is sporty yet cushy comfortable. The brand's usual driver orientation in the cockpit is there, with maximum attention to the choice of materials, color scheme, and workmanship. The exclusive bi-color option from Italian leather workshop Poltrona Frau divides the interior horizontally into two distinct color segments: a dark brown tone for the upper section and a light saddle brown for the lower.
Precise perforations, as well as braided leather straps for the seat valences and slide bar, highlight the artisan character of the interior, which combines traditional craftsmanship at the highest level with modern design principles. There is a small but very usable space available in the rear for storage.
Do you like what you see? Is the BMW Concept Touring Coupe cool enough to make its way to the production line? We shall see.
Source: BMW
Published July 2023