Yahoo Lifestyle BMW and Kith Teamed up on a New One-of-a-Kind M1 Sports Car
The third time really is the charm, even when it comes to a partnership as fruitful as the one between BMW and Kith.
The German luxury automaker and New York streetwear brand have just unveiled their latest collaboration, a bespoke version of the first M car, the M1 E26, with a Techno Violet finish. The gorgeous coupé was designed—or subtly remixed, if you will—by Kith founder Ronnie Fieg and will be on display later this week during Art Basel Miami Beach.
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Thanks to a wedge-shaped design penned by Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, the original M car is one of the most striking vehicles to ever wear BMW’s iconic roundel badge. As such, Feig didn’t mess with the exterior too much, instead choosing to accentuate the beauty of what is already there (which is a trademark of his work). He did this painting the car in on one of the marque’s most beloved colors, Techno Violet, and adding a special Kith M-Series badge on the rear deck lid. The interior is covered in BMW Individual Black Merino Leather and has a Kith monogram pattern on the seat inserts, headrests, gear shifter, door cards, and floor mats. Past collaborations between the two brands have looked good, but this M1 is on another level entirely.
While the car’s exterior and interior have been fixed up, its powertrain has been rebuilt using parts from various BMW archives but largely left alone. It’s easy to see why. The M1 is far from the most powerful M car—that would be the 748-hp XM Label Red—but its 3.5-liter inline-six with four valves per cylinder is still potent. The mill produces a respectable 277 hp and 243 ft lbs of torque. When the car was brand new it could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under six seconds and had a top speed of 165 mph, both of which were rather impressive for the era.
Unfortunately, the Techno Violet BMX X Kith M1 E26 is a strict one-off that we can only assume is destined for a spot in Fieg’s collection of M cars. You will be able to see it in person, though. The vehicle, along with a number of other custom beemers owned by the designer, is part of the Kith for BMW Showcase event that will be held on December 6.
Click here of see more photos of the BMW X Kith M1 E26.
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