Jaguar is this year's featured brand at the Rolex event, which is tied to the Pebble Beach Concours showcase, making an orgiastic event for well-heeled auto enthusiasts. Jag's famous classic, the XKE two-seater, is a star at the event. One might wonder if BMW had just the teensiest notion of undercutting Jag by showing the 328 Hommage.
Jag has a new two-seater in the works, but it might not evoke the E-type the way BMW's Hommage recalls the original.
More exciting than the car, at least to auto geeks trying to divine the future, is that BMW has installed two iPhones in the 328 Homage dashboard. And not for calls, but to use as stopwatches, needed for rallying and some racing, and to show other key information.
Auto-futurists foresee a time when the driver plugs his or her iPhone, iPad or similar device into a dashboard dock. The device would contain all the driver's settings and preferences, instantly customizing the car.
BMW is mum about the likelihood of producing the 328 Hommage, although if the company is playing by the ususal rules, designating it a "concept" means there is at least a shadow of a chance it could reach showrooms.
Here's what the company says about the car:
The BMW 328 Hommage concept was created in honor of the 75th anniversary of the venerable BMW 328, considered by many to be not only the best looking sport cars of the 1930s but also one of the most successful on the track. The BMW 328 was the embodiment of what the BMW brand still stands for today – dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation.
In its day, the BMW 328 was noted for its lightweight design, powerful inline six-cylinder engine and responsive handling. The expressive exterior design of the BMW 328 Hommage depicts the modern interpretation of a highly emotional and dynamic two-seater Roadster – just like the BMW 328 75 years ago.
The BMW 328 Homage is the modern embodiment of those attributes. Translating the idea of lightweight construction into this day and age, most of the exterior and interior of the BMW 328 Hommage are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic.
offers the best balance between weight and strength. In order to highlight the use of this cutting-edge material, the CFRP used on the BMW 328 Hommage is visible to the eye. The entire interior structure is also made of CFRP.
In order to highlight the use of this cutting edge material, wherever it is employed it is visible to the eye. The instrument panel is fitted with two iPhones located in special holders which offer additional display functions for the driver and co-driver. The iPhones function as stopwatches for measuring lap times as well as digital roadbooks. Using two iPhones, both functions can be operated at the same time.
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