At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, BMW is always in top form. Studies such as the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage, which has now become reality, or the breathtaking BMW M1 Hommage attracted attention on the picturesque Lake Como. This time, too, the people of Munich reflect on their past and roll a Shooting Brake to Italy. The name: BMW Concept Touring Coupé. A reminiscence is clear from the first sight of the concept car: the Z3 Coupé, first ridiculed as a draft by a designer under the influence of drugs and dubbed the “elephant sneaker”, now legendary, is the inspiration.
The history of BMW reveals two other role models: the BMW 328 Touring Coupé, which won the legendary Mille Miglia long-distance race in 1940, also peeks out from the depths of Bavarian automobile history. In the 1970s, the touring models of the 02 series found a lot of fans. They immediately recognize the lettering emblazoned on the rear of the vehicle. Anyway: this butt. The Z4 station wagon stretches its magnificent rear end towards the viewer, which ends in powerful Porsche 911-like shoulders. Splendid! The fact that Ferrari put a similar idea on the road with the FF certainly does the BMW credit.
The paint pays homage to the place where the Shooting Brake made its first appearance: the name of the grey-brown paint is “Sparkling Lario”, Lario being the Latin name for Lake Como. However, the paint shell is not a run-of-the-mill metallic finish. Embedded blue glass particles give the color a special depth effect. The chrome elements are coated in a matching silver bronze to match the brown basic tone. This also applies to the vertical double struts of the BMW kidney grille specially designed for the Concept Touring Coupé.
And also for the Hofmeister kink. A BMW simply has to have this striking shape of the last pillar. The MW makes such a study no exception. “With the BMW Concept Touring Coupé we are celebrating the original joy of driving,” says designer Domagoj Dukec. Speaking of elements of a classic BMW, the in-line six-cylinder engine under the long bonnet should not be missing. The basis of the concept vehicle is a Z4 M40i with 250 kW / 340 hp. So there is enough propulsion. After all, the BMW Concept Touring Coupé is also a GT.
For adequate travel in such a car, a comfortable interior is essential. As befits a study presented at the exclusive automotive rendezvous in Italy, the interior designers used Poltrona-Frau’s expertise for the two-tone full leather appointments (even the floor mats are made of leather). In the lower area it is beige saddle leather with the matching color name “Joe”, the dark brown cover of the upper area is called “Dusty”. The trunk is lined with the decorative saddle leather. Details such as the fine perforation, which can be found everywhere in the car, or the leather straps braided like a baseball glove give the interior a special touch. However, the leather braids are not entirely new. The Audi TT already had this special feature a few years ago.
The right luggage is also part of traveling in style. The specialists at leather manufacturer Schedoni in Modena have designed two large weekenders, one small and one garment bag especially for the BMW Concept Touring Coupé, all of which are perfectly matched to the vehicle. Such extras also sell well. Speaking of which: an active Shooting Brake would look good on the BMW model range. There are plenty of role models that have made the leap from Lake Como to the showrooms of car dealerships.
