BMW legend lives again

It features some of the most futuristic cars on the planet, but the Tokyo Motor Show played host to a BMW that looked to the past for its inspiration.

Sitting alongside its new M3 four-door big brother, the 1-Series tii is drawing big crowds at the Japanese expo.

Most striking is the show car’s carbon fibre bonnet, which gives the squat 1-Series Coupe shape an even more purposeful stance.

While it’s still officially called a design study, the tii is close to production ready. With everything from unique front and rear bumpers to a navy blue racing stripe, the show star is sure to be popular with BMW fans who want to get noticed.

A host of aerodynamic parts have been fitted including a new lip in the boot lid along with a specially shaped carbon-fibre-reinforced bonnet. The specialist bonnet adds a sporting edge to the BMW’s looks as well as helping to reduce overall kerb weight.

Inside, the performance upgrades are just as striking. The white rev counter sits next to a black speedometer, while the bucket seats and much of the dashboard are clad in alcantara.

But don’t expect the race-bred makeover to continue under the skin. Despite the sporty looks BMW has not made any mechanical engine or chassis tweaks. Concentrating instead on making minor weight reductions and styling revisions, the tii could either appear as a styling accessories pack on any 1-Series Coupe, or be offered as a range-topping model with a new yet-to-be-announced powerplant.

If you like your sporty BMWs to come with a bit more bite, the M3 four-dour could be for you. Sharing the same mighty V8 powerplant and rear-wheel drive chassis as the coupe, the saloon offers practicality along with supercar performance.