Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here. As I was cruising the net I discovered that there were several very cool things going on in the auto world that didn’t necessarily get the attention I thought they deserved. So in the spirit of weirdly underrated auto news, I bring you the Slipping Under the Radar Series part 1! Hit the jump to check out my first radical find!

BM1 M1 Concept

Quite possibly… the most amazingly good looking car I’ve ever seen. I found this while trolling, and it seems autoblog also did a report on it, yet no one seems to have noticed. Now, I’m a big fan of BMW when it comes to quality and performance and looks, but the M1 has always held a place in my heart as the forgotten illegitimate child of BMW. Created in a strange marriage between Lamborghini and BMW, the original M1 of the 70’s was one of the rarest and most interesting BMW’s ever produced. The original was hand built for only a few years, between 1978 and 1981. Designed by Giugiaro, the classic M1 took design features from the BMW Turbo Concept and from several other Italian super cars of the day. While boxy and angular compared to most of todays cars, no one can deny that this car had STYLE.

Fast forward to 2008. Concorso d’Eleganza. Villa d’Este. BMW rolls out THIS:

*Drool.* Some people might find it hideous… but personally this thing is that once in a generation ride that you’d give a kidney and your right pinky for. The ultra low stance, the wide body, the super narrow front headlights and the angular body lines give the car a stealthy, sinister look. Its a burnt orange F-117 Nighthawk… and the swept back profile denotes the ability for speed. Both the front and rear feature cavernous maws for the intake and exhaust, while the flattened rear hatch with the louvered rear window gives it a retro look. Although there wasn’t an interior and the car didn’t have any special powertrain options, I’m staying hopeful that this re-invented blast from the past makes it into production; so that maybe one day I can sell my organs and buy one.

Make sure to check out the whole gallery, leave a comment, and remember to head down into the forums for discussion! Check in next time for the next part of Auto Adventures- Slipping Under the Radar! This is Dr. VW- out.