BMW 328 Hommage concept headed to Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como

BMW has a history that is nearly unparalleled, and in celebration of the German company's unique blend of luxury and sport, it will showcase a tribute concept called the 328 Hommage this weekend at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy.

The 328 Hommage will employ a straight six-cylinder powerplant and the familiar kidney-shaped BMW grille stretched upright in dramatic fashion. The interior and exterior make heavy use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and there are no doors--just deep recesses. In a nod to the racing heritage of the original 328--including one that still retains the average-speed record at the Mille Miglia--the car is extremely light, weighing in at just 1,719 pounds.

The BMW 328 Hommage salutes the 75-year history of the original and is fitted with special badging. There's also a Spartan, racing-themed interior with just the essentials, including temperature gauges for the oil and water, as well as a revs counter. The instruments are accented in black chrome.

The exterior is distinguished by cylindrical headlights with backlit LEDs, flowing lines and two-part wheels.

This concept joins the one-off Ferrari Superamerica 45 custom-made for an American collector and a V12-powered Aston Martin Zagato developed in celebration of those two icons' first collaboration 50 years ago, the DB4GT Zagato.

PRESS RELEASE: BMW 328 Hommage

The BMW 328 is considered the most successful and best-looking sports car of the 1930s. The BMW 328's success was the result of its design parameters – through the use of systematic lightweight construction, aerodynamic lines, opti-mum engine types and outstanding suspension technology, it laid the foundation stone for a new vehicle concept, by which performance only leads to success if combined with perfect harmonisation of all parameters and maximum efficiency. With these characteristics, the BMW 328 was even then the embodiment of what the BMW brand still stands for today – dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation.

This year, the dream sports car is celebrating its 75th birthday. The festivities will begin near Lake Como at the Mille Miglia. There, the main focus will be on the fascination of the BMW 328 racing car. To this day, the award-winning vehicle BMW 328 Touring Coup

By Greg Migliore