BMW Vision EfficientDynamics WILL be the new BMW M1

BMW revealed the Vision EfficientDynamics Cocnept at Frankfurt - which looks set to go in to production as the new BMW M1

A BMW Executive has revealed that the VISION EfficientDynamics Concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show will ‘Probably’ go in to production – as the BMW M1.

After BMW revealed the Vision EfficeintDynamics Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the motoring press (Cars UK included) speculated on whether the Vison ED could become BMW’s first Supercar since the original M1. Well, it looks as if we were on the right track after Inside Line managed to elicit some nuggets of information from a senior BMW exec.

Much as we speculated, some of the off-the-wall stuff on the BMW Vision ED Concept won’t make production (in particular the see-through doors which will never pass regulations) but the drivetrain looks like it’s going to stay intact and – if the BMW exec is to be believed – actually improved.

Just as a reminder, the Vision ED sports a 3-pot turbo diesel mated to a pair of electric motors – one on each axle. The combination offers 351bhp and 590lb/ft of torque, 75mpg, 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds and emissions under the magic 100g/km.

It also appears that BMW are having a fiddle or three with the hybrid powertrain to coax more power out of it and are looking to build between 5,000 and 10,000 cars with a launch by 2013. As for the name, the unnamed BMW Exec is quoted as saying “And that name that the marketing people forced on us [Vision EfficientDynamics] – that’s going to change for sure.”

So our money’s still on the Vision ED becoming the new BMW M1. It would be sacrilege to use the M1 moniker on an M version of the 1-Series.

Let’s hope BMW feels the same.