Created specifically for the Villa D'Este classic car concours event in Italy, the BMW M1 Homage concept pulls design cues from the original M1, softening the original car's sharp lines but not to the extent that the exotic car look is compromised.

We especially like the louvered rear window and the BMW badges on the sweeping rear pillars. The original M1 had pop-up headlights, which seem a little old school today. Fortunately, the Homage's nose reflects today's styling with exposed headlights, albeit barely visible within the car's bull shark-like snout. BMW's kidney shaped grill has, of course, been maintained. In addition, the wheels say only one thing...unmistakably BMW M1.

Does this car look a little over the top? Maybe. Details such as interior layout and performance were not talked about, not that we expected BMW to expand on such niceties. But it is a concept. A design experiment paying homage to a classic exotic. And it may be a bit of a stretch to see future BMW's taking on any of the Homage's design details.

But how great would it be to see BMW introduce a car similar to the Homage, taking on the likes of Audi's R8 and Lamborghini's Gallardo?

A little history
The BMW M1 began its life in the mid 1970s as BMW's Motorsport Division began development of a GT race car for Group 4 and Group 5 racing. For manufacturers wanting to qualify, 400 cars had to be built, with some being made available to the public and the rest set aside for competition. For BMW, their foray into GT racing became known as the Mid-Engined BMW M1 Project, or simply the E26. Development kicked off in 1976, with completion in 1981.

The M1 was designed by Giugiaro, with inspiration from the 1972 BMW Turbo. The original plan was to have Lamborghini develop the car's chassis, assemble prototypes and manufacture the car. But financial problems with the Italian car maker and delays brought development back to BMW. They contracted with Baur, a German convertible builder, for assembly but by the time production resumed, the rules for Group 5 racing had changed. In addition, BMW had not met the required sales goals so they moved the M1 to the Procar series.

There were only 456 M1's built, with production discontinued in 1981.

BMW M1 history

• The first M1 was completed on July 10th, 1978.
• The last car was completed on February 13th, 1981.
• All VINs have the same 14-digit prefix (WBS59910004301XXX) with individual 3-digit suffices. The entire production range used numbers 001 to 460, with seven numbers never used (045 to 049, 428, 431) and two Group 5 race cars built without VINs.

Manufacturing breakdown...

• In 1979, 79 cars were built (41 road, 38 race).
• In 1980, 188 cars were built (178 road, 10 race).
• And in 1981, 188 cars were built (180 road, 8 race).

A total of 455 cars were built, with 399 sold to the public and 56 for competition.

Hat tip to the Unofficial BMW M1 web site.

Follow this link to check out our photo gallery of the M1 Homage.

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Contrary to earlier reports, the Audi RS8 is confirmed for delivery in the second quarter of 2009 and will share the RS6's twin-turbocharged, 572bhp V10.

Autocar is reporting that the RS8 should prove to be the fastest Audi ever with a zero to 62mph sprint of less than 4 seconds, reaching 100mph 4.5 seconds later and top out well north of 200mph.

Wolfgang Hatz, head of Audi powertrain development, said, “The car is now signed off, and will appear during the second quarter of 2009.”

“I can’t say much about it until then,” but he did confirm the RS6's V10 as the cars powerplant.

Initial reports were that Audi was having cooling problems with the twin-turbo V10, further proven by an RS8 prototype's "carbeque" at the Nordscheife in 2006.

Quattro GmbH boss Werner Froweim said the RS8 would get a new 5.2-liter V10, based on the existing 4.2-liter V8 currently used in the R8 and outgoing RS4.

Apparently though, the cooling problem has been solved. Much of the work was done with the V12 TDi concept which would logically carry over for a V10-powered RS8.

“Why would we spend money developing a whole new engine for this car, when we already have such a good one,” Hatz said.

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It's no secret to anyone who follows auto news with us that we love the R8, as we followed most recently with the kick-off of Audi's new advertising blitz during the Superbowl. And Car Magazine's interpretation of what the R8 Spider may look like is incredible. No, this is not a production-ready convertible R8 but likely very close.

Now, is this better looking than other exotic convertibles? Ferrari's, both past and present, are always considered beautiful. Porsche's cabriolet, maybe not so much. Lamborghini's Gallardo Spyder also looks pretty good, but better than this R8?

Let us know what you think. Any exotic drop-top that you just love and couldn't live without? Do you own a convertible exotic? Let us know what you think.

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Tesla's Roadster is the first zero emission vehicle in production
Ze'ev Drori, President and CEO of Tesla Motors, recently announced the start of regular production of the companies Roadster.

Drori explained in a blog post, "Since my previous communication we have obtained all the required regulatory approvals for the sale of the Roadster in the US and delivered the first production Tesla Roadster. We also set at that time a date of March 17th 2008 for the start of regular production of the Roadster. I am pleased to report to you that we have met this commitment and have begun regular production."

What's fascinating is as Tesla manufacturing ramps up, they are taking orders for the 2009 model year. All of the 2008 Roadsters have been reserved. Great news for Tesla, even better news for the electric car industry as a whole. No other company has come this far, actually delivering vehicles to customers. Yes, Tesla has had some hiccups, but they've succeeded in jumping through the hoops and are now prepared to continue that success into the next model year.

Here's the link to put your name on the 2009 wait list.

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I've talked previously about researching online for your new car and using that research to find the best deal. I've been asked to review another valuable site but geared to servicing buyers in the UK. That site is Motors Today.

At first glance, Motors Today clearly has you covered with model reviews, a dealer search function and finance help. You can even sell your own car. As with all successful sites, building your niche is important. Motors Today is doing just that for European buyers.

But the ideal use for Motors Today is their car search function, particularly for new cars. The left column of their site is dedicated to just that, whether it be used or new. By simply clicking the New Cars tab, visitors can search any make and model, even specifying your minimum and maximum price.

Once you enter the vehicle information you are searching for, the results page shows you the cars available, including the engine and transmissions available on each. As a test, I searched for an Audi A4 and was presented with 5 choices. From the A4 1.8 TFSI all the way up to the A4 3.2 FSI SE quattro, I could pick and choose across the model range with the price clearly indicated. Nothing hidden here. It was refreshing to see everything, especially the price, right up front. Knowing this makes me more comfortable in selecting a car and possibly buying it.

Once you are happy with your search results, click the View Car link next to the vehicle of your choice. A new window opens, presenting you with the first of four pages where you specify options. Vehicle color, interior upholstery and miscellaneous options, such as sound systems and wheels, are all there. The best part? The price of the car updates on the fly as you add or remove options.

The fourth and final page allows you to review your vehicle configuration, complete with a quote ID number. You can save the quote, then call the dealer with the number provided on the configuration page. The process of buying new cars should be so easy everywhere.

Motors Today offers a nice solution to a process many of us dread. And that's the car buying process. Motors Today provides the buyer with the tools they need to find the car that best suits them. Then add options from those available from the manufacturer, all with the price clearly visible. There's an excellent chance visitors will become buyers once they discover how easy it is with Motors Today.

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Volkswagen has pulled the wraps off the new Scirocco, set to spend this week on the podium at the Geneva Motor Show.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, Volkswagen and, in particular, Scirocco fans have been waiting and anticipating this news. But is this the car they were expecting, the one they feel carries the torch for VW fans looking for an affordable performance-minded coupe?

Volkswagen CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn said, “In the Scirocco we will be bringing the kind of sports car into the showroom that people dream of. Yet it is a dream that an exceptionally large number of car drivers will be able to afford — despite all of the high-end technologies we have implemented.”

In our eyes, we see a flatter version of the GTI. Does this car generate the interest VW is hoping for? Time will only tell.

Volkswagen of America executive Adrian Hallmark tipped his hand, saying the new Scirocco would not be coming to the United States because "we don't want it." His concern? Cannibalizing GTI sales. It doesn't make sense to distance yourself from a new model, especially one hoping to attract buyers to a growing segment. The small, economical yet fun to drive group of cars taking off with higher gas prices. Yet Hallmark seems OK to go without this new car.

But Volkswagen of America won't have much say in whether or not the Scirocco will be available in the U.S. That decision will be made by CEO Martin Winterkorn in Germany.

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The record? The ECTA Land Speed Record for a production supercharged vehicle with a stock bottom end. The current record is 186.853mph from a standing mile.

Robert Self, the Ford GT's 73-year-old owner, will attempt to smash the record April 5-6 at the East Coast Timing Asssociation in Maxton, North Carolina. Robert is hoping to hit 200-210mph on the ECTA's one-mile runway track.

Over and above the GT's $170,000 base price, Robert has installed a $15,000 Whipple Industries supercharger upgrade and another $30,000 in other performance and safety improvements. American Muscle is providing the proper tire setup for Robert in his attempt to break 200mph.

Anyone care to make a prediction? One could argue that this is the fastest Ford GT in existence. What do you think?

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UPDATE: Porsche announced today that production will resume at the Zuffenhausen factory Monday, March 3rd. The damage to the paint shop following the explosion amounts to several hundred thousand Euros. Apparently the escaping gas that caused the explosion was due to a defect in a PVC fusion oven. The other ovens used in the plant were inspected and found to be safe and fully functional.

Because of the loss in production time this week, Porsche has a backlog now of about 800 911's. As I mention below, they expect to make it up during the course of the year.

Contrary to earlier reports, and Porsche getting a better handle on the damages, production of the 911 has been suspended at least through the end of this week. Assembly was initially going to be halted for two to three days.

Porsche produces the 911 at their Zuffenhausen factory, which is the only manufacturing facility that builds the car.

The plant builds about 160 cars a day. Porsche says they should be able to make up the shortfall during the course of the year.

The explosion was caused by leaking gas from a drying oven which ignited. Any injured workers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and later released.

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Cadillac has wised up and is doing all the right things. We're not afraid to admit we love Cadillac, especially this new CTS-V. It's amazing with it's supercharged 6.2L V-8, pumping out 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque.

Cadillac's not focusing on the older set anymore, at least not with this new CTS.

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Apparently the launch of Volkswagen's new Scirocco is imminent. A mini-site is now available, providing the opportunity for visitors to sign up for future information.

The site has a continuous stream of teaser images, giving you a subtle preview yet leaving much to the imagination.

Speculation around the 'net is that we'll see it at Geneva. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

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