Underneath
the dramatic bodywork lies a chassis and drivetrain of a modern sports car. BMW chose to loosely base the Mille Miglia 2006 off of the new M-Coupe floorpan. I stress loosely, because it's not exactly your standard cut and paste job. The chassis had to be significantly overhauled to feature the historically-correct hinged roof design. While the M-Coupe has doors, the Mille Miglia doesn't; like the original 328 race car it features a raised floor, allowing for a lighter body and a more torsionally rigid structure. The concept is also significantly larger than the M-Coupe, as BMW stretched the chassis, increasing the car's overall length by 24 centimeters (9.5 inches). Overall, the car is four centimeters (1.6 inches) shorter than the production M-Coupe.
Under the long, striking nose of the Mille Miglia Concept is BMW's famous M-Power 3.2-litre inline-six, as featured in the M-Coupe and M3. The 343 horsepower, 8,000 rpm engine passes through unmodified, but for a minor tweak to the inlet and exhaust system, enabling the refined engine to produce a race-car like noise at full throttle and idle. Like every BMW, the Mille Miglia is designed to be a driving machine; even in its concept state, BMW has worked to give the car aerodynamic-friendly features such as underbody spoilers, and bodywork sculpted to reduce drag, yet improve downforce.
As
for the interior, the Coupe Concept has been styled to mimic the original 328. Interestingly, only three materials have been used to trim the cabin: stainless steel, untreated, oxblood coloured cowhides, and Lycra fabric. High quality plastics have been excluded, in order to preserve the classic, minimalist and functional shape of the dashboard, console and doors. But it's not all old-world for the Coupe Concept, as there are many beautiful design accents that could only be made using the latest cutting edge technology. All the lettering, logos and symbols found throughout the cabin have been embossed using laser etching. Very nice.
Specifications:
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| Two sets of bright LED lamps light the way forward. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
Under the long, striking nose of the Mille Miglia Concept is BMW's famous M-Power 3.2-litre inline-six, as featured in the M-Coupe and M3. The 343 horsepower, 8,000 rpm engine passes through unmodified, but for a minor tweak to the inlet and exhaust system, enabling the refined engine to produce a race-car like noise at full throttle and idle. Like every BMW, the Mille Miglia is designed to be a driving machine; even in its concept state, BMW has worked to give the car aerodynamic-friendly features such as underbody spoilers, and bodywork sculpted to reduce drag, yet improve downforce.
As
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| Interior is simple, with only the bare necessities. (Photo: BMW Canada) |
Specifications:
- Body Type: one (roof)-door coupe
- Layout: front engine, RWD
- Engine: 343-hp, 3.2L, 24-valve, DOHC, I-6
- Transmission: 6-spd manual
- Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
- Tires: 245/40R20
- Web Site: www.bmw.ca and www.millemiglia.it
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