BMW 328 Hommage Concept 2011

The stage is set for this weekend’s Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy with automakers and individual owners of classic cars already rolling out their goods for the 2011 edition of the show. The famed event will also play host to the world premiere of a fresh batch of sports car concept cars such as the Aston Martin V12 Zagato that we told you about earlier today and the BMW 328 Hommage concept, which we present here.

The BMW 328 Hommage was created on the occasion of the original model’s 75th birthday. While the Bavarian automaker avoids to make the connection, the 328 Hommage appears to be based on (or at least developed from) the Vision Connected Drive roadster study, which premiered at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

To give the car a more retro look while keeping its futuristic feel, BMW’s designers took certain elements of the original 328 adapted them to their new roadster study. These include the slim and dare we say, much missed from BMW fans, vertically positioned double kidney grille, the leather straps across the bonnet, the styling of the wheels, and the double windscreen with a recess in the middle. The doors were also removed to imitate the styling of the 328.

In keeping with the original roadster’s lightweight philosophy, most major parts of the exterior and interior of the 328 Hommage are made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which BMW says is lighter but also more stable than aluminum.

The two seater interior has far fewer retro touches than the exterior with BMW’s designers going for a minimalistic look. The materials used inside include carbon fiber, leather and aluminum, all of which are purposely visible.

The concept model is powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six engine, but that’s all the technical specifications we get about the car from BMW.

Get a look of the Bavarian firm’s new concept model in the gallery, and leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

GALLERY