BMW concept touring coupé: design journey from munich to como

Surrounded by the rarest and most elegant sportscars of 20th Century, BMW debuted the Concept Touring Coupé at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023. The closed two-seater joined the show in good company as the next new interpretation of the classic sportscar. And, in similar fashion, it is a one-off for now…

Sketched in Munich, coach-built in Turin, stitched in Modena, and showcased at Lake Como: designboom joined the design journey of the one-off BMW Concept Touring Coupé to speak with the designers. Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, begins to say, ‘the Concorso d’Eleganza is a fantastic celebration of design for cars old and new. BMW brought a new concept along. We thought that the Concept Touring Coupe would fit the style of the event.’

The one-off BMW Concept Touring Coupé debuted at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023

All images courtesy of the BMW Group

Taking inspiration from the brand’s endurance heritage, the BMW Concept Touring Coupé pays tribute to the 328 Touring Coupe that won the Mille Miglia Endurance Race back in 1940. It evokes the same Sheer Driving Pleasure that is apparent in every one of their models, just in a modern take. The one-off grand tourer entrusts its anticipated power to a six-cylinder in-line engine.

‘The BMW concept touring coupe celebrates the original Sheer Driving Pleasure,’ says Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design. ‘A highly emotional vehicle like this shows that the passion for everything that goes into driving pleasure has been essential through the ages and will be for the future.’

The sculpted design imagines the next new interpretation of the classic sportscar

coach-built bmw concept Touring Coupé

The concept car greets the eyes with a long bonnet, tipped with a kidney grille that is detailed with longitudinal bars. Next, the streamlined roof and powerful rear section create a distinct two-box design. This shooting brake reimagines the traditional body shape of an elegant sportscar. Its sculpted rear end merges seamlessly with the rear side panels, but it is also accentuated with the flat rear window and athletic shoulders.

Its two-box design is dressed in a grey-to-gold exterior paint, called Sparkling Lario

Sketched in Munich by the BMW design team, the car’s unique bodywork was then coach-built by skilled craftsmen in Turin. The design is dressed in a special paintwork to match its exclusivity. Called Sparkling Lario, the color spectrums from grey to gold depending on the lighting. Flakes of blue gloss are embedded into the paint to create an interesting depth against the grey-brown.

‘In and around Turin there is still a lot of competency in crafting metal and leather. This specific coachbuilders in Turin help BMW create complex shapes for small volumes in a short period of time. We built the Garmisch together in 2019. Similarly, we only had roughly five months to build the Concept Touring Coupé,’ adds Adrian.

Poltrona Frau’s upholstery divides the cabin in a bi-color leather option

poltrona frau-stitched bi-color leather interior

The shooting brake might add more functionality to the interior, but the cabin is completely driver orientated. The space has received an exclusive bi-color option from Italian leather workshop Poltrona Frau that divides it horizontally. The upper section, for example, appears in a dark brown tone to aid concentration while driving. The lower section, respectively, is shaded in a light saddle brown to add a warmth and comfort. Braided leather straps for seat valences and slide bars further highlight the artisan craft of the interior.

Schedoni leather workshop custom made a luggage set exclusively for the concept car

bespoke schedoni luggage to match

Behind the cockpit, there is ample room to stow luggage for grand tours. The compartment – also upholstered in leather from Poltrona Frau – holds custom-made luggage to match. Designed exclusively by Schedoni leather workshop in Modena, the custom-made set comprises two large, one small weekender and garment bags. The designs display the same high-quality craft as the one-off exterior and interior to set the mark for the next 21st Century sportscar.

‘The one-off luggage was crafted by Schedoni. The leather workshop do all the bespoke luggage for Rolls-Royce and Ferrari, for instance. It was an honor to work with a company with such competence,’ concludes Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design.