BMW Working On ‘Green Supercar’ For 2012

BMW is touting the coming of a "breakthrough green supercar" which is expected to arrive in 2012 and will be the successor to the famed BMW M1. Reports indicate the supercar will follow design cues and styling concepts from the radical M1 Hommage (above) and will utilise BMW's EfficientDynamics system to bolster its green credentials.

Power is expected to come from the same 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six engine currently seen across the range while incorporating new technologies to reduce C0² emissions and return solid fuel-efficiency figures.

It's unclear if the M1 successor will receive all the tricks in BMW's EfficientDynamics bag but the range of technologies includes the following wizardry:

• Auto Start-Stop
• Brake Energy Regeneration
• Optimum Shift Indicator
• Lightweight Engineering
• Electric Power Steering.
• Reduced Rolling Resistance Tyres
• Low-friction Fluids
• Active Aerodynamics
• High-precision Direct Injection

In addition, there are also reports suggesting that F1's KERS may also see duty to further enhance performance without compromising emissions and efficiency targets.

Expected to be priced competitively against the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SLC, BMW's supercar is shaping up (on paper at least) to be one of the more exciting 'green' models coming. We'd be more than happy to put it a through a serious 'fuel efficiency' test... (we'll do the Veyron first, but).