BMW has just made the surprise reveal of the decade. Remember the mid-engine M1 supercar? Well it’s back for 2016 and it looks ready to tear the faces off of the Audi R8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT. Like the i8, the new M1 will feature a carbon fiber reinforced plastic passenger cell, form-follows function aerodynamic styling, and the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the M5, except now it makes 600 horsepower that will be sent to the rear tires after passing through a seven-speed double clutch transmission.
An ultra-light body was high on the list for BMW, and it pulled this off by making the new M1 200 pounds lighter than the i8 after peeling away the electric motors and lithium-ion batteries.