BMW M division chief pledges revival of iconic M1 supercar if unlimited budget

BMW M's CEO Frank van Meel and design chief Oliver Heilmer said they would love to create a new M1 that carries the spirit of the 1970s prototype, provided they had no budget or product‑line constraints. Both cited the cancelled Vision M Next project – a near‑finished 600 hp plug‑in hybrid that was halted by the pandemic and high development costs – as a basis for a possible successor.

The executives also noted that BMW has been researching a model positioned above all current M vehicles and hope that sufficient resources and corporate approval will eventually emerge. Earlier plans for an even more powerful electric super‑car, rumored to exceed 1,200 hp and cost over $100,000, were shelved after the XM SUV underperformed expectations, prompting a shift away from the M1 project.