Though the BMW->ke178 M1 from the late-1970s and early-1980s was not a supercar by any stretch of the term, it was about as close as BMW has gotten to the supercar realm in its entire history. With BMW steadily expanding its lineup with the like of the i8 and i3, could this be the perfect time for BMW to dive into the true supercar realm with a resurrected M1->ke2536?

According to the folks at Automobile Magazine, it surely does. Their sources say that BMW is already hard at work plugging away at this concept for a possible debut in 2014 at an auto show of BMW’s liking.

The rumors are pointing toward the M1 having a monocoque chassis made of extremely stiff carbon fiber. Wrapped around the monocoque, the body would be a mixture of carbon fiber, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and high-strength steel. This lightweight design leads to the biggest benefit of this system, a performance car weighing in at only 2,750 lbs.

The M1 will also reportedly feature a body so aerodynamic that it’s like adding 100 horsepower to any engine. A plethora of moving fins along the body direct the wind around the vehicle and transfers it into useful energy, as opposed to useless drag.

According to rumors, BMW has already chosen an engine. After flirting with a 6-cylinder option, the German luxury car company settled on the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. This engine is rumored to punch out somewhere in the range of 600 to 650 horsepower.

Behind this engine would be a super-fast shifting dual clutch transmission. This combination of high power, quick shift, and light weight would give the M1 a top speed of 205 mph and a 0 to 62 mph time of roughly 3 seconds. This would immediately put BMW up on par with the likes of Ferrari->ke252, Lamborghini->ke44, and Bugatti->ke16.

For now, this is all just hearsay and rumors, so there is little more to report. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. We hope to report soon that BMW is confirming this vehicle, but we’re not holding our breath.

Image is of the 2008 BMW M1 Hommage.

2016 BMW M1

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  • Model: 2016 BMW M1
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