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18<br />
COOLEST CARS / ROLL-OUT<br />
WWW.TOPGEAR.COM.PH<br />
Built as a nod to the original ‘Batmobile’ CSL of the ’70s, the<br />
Hommage is a truly astonishing car. Pictures do little<br />
justice to the way the wraparound lines swirl and flow in<br />
three dimensions. Particularly challenging are the<br />
‘callipgrahic’ taillights integrated into the rear wing. The<br />
secondary roof spoiler and the X-shaped laser (yes, frickin’<br />
lasers!) headlights, on the other hand, are playful nods to<br />
CSL racers of the past. The looks are rounded out by<br />
gorgeous 21-inch bronze wheels wrapped in prophylacticthin<br />
rubber.<br />
Underneath the carbon-fiber shell are the chassis and the gutsy 3.0-liter<br />
twin-turbo engine of the M4. The latter stutters to life with the popping,<br />
chattery rasp familiar to generations of backyard tuners who’ve unbolted<br />
exhausts looking for even the smallest iota of extra power. Hardly melodic,<br />
but nostalgic to the nth degree.<br />
The interior is a mishmash of minimalist retro-futurism, mixing wood<br />
trim and carbon with data displays peeking through the bare wood<br />
dashboard and a steering yoke seemingly straight off a starfighter. Extra<br />
information is routed to the driver’s helmet in a form of augmented reality.<br />
Hopefully, that includes Waze and Viber apps. It would certainly bring a<br />
new meaning to the term ‘hands-free.’<br />
If BMW ever decided to create a small production batch of these things,<br />
it would likely sell every single one. Though there are no plans as of yet,<br />
given that the equally show-stopping i8 made it from show car to<br />
production almost unchanged, the Hommage’s eventual green-lighting<br />
remains an intriguing possibility.