BMW’s Development Chief Really Wants A 600 HP, i8-Based Supercar

BMW has just built one supercar in its entire history, but BMW Group’s development chief Klaus Frohlich is nevertheless pushing hard for a new-age M1.

Speculation about a successor to the legendary BMW M1 is nothing new. However, this is one of the first times a senior member from BMW has admitted to pursuing the idea of a supercar.

Speaking with Australia’s Motoring at the Paris Auto Show, Frohlich said that he continues to push for such a model and believes it could be based around the carbon fiber chassis of the i8.

“I’m a car guy. Once in a life I want to make a supercar. I have not given up,” he said.

“I have a wonderful carbon-fiber chassis for a sports car in my portfolio. Currently, it’s used in the i8. This car was launched in 2014, so I would like to use something like that, with much more performance, electric and conventional.

“Then it will be very soon in the 600 horsepower or something region and it will not have a weight of two tonnes,” Frohlich revealed.

According to Frohlich, a new BMW supercar won’t arrive this decade. Instead, he believes the next window of opportunity for such a vehicle will be after the second-generation i8 launches.

“The chassis is so robust, so good and so light-weight that I would like to use it for a second generation. I’m working very hard to make it happen,” he said.

Despite this, Frohlich admitted that it will be hard to convince BMW management to green light such a vehicle as it would be unlikely to turn a profit.

As a matter of fact, BMW M boss Frank Van Meel said 12 months ago said he didn’t feel the need to make a supercar targeted towards a very small group of people. He also said that he doesn’t believe the BMW M brand needs a halo vehicle.