Once upon a time, Miami Art Week wouldn’t have meant much to many car fans apart from the most cultured among us. For 2024 it’s taken on a new importance, however, and not just because Jaguar’s new era kicks off in the small hours. It’s important because Miami will see the debut of just about the most beautiful BMW ever made.
Sadly it’s not a new one, instead a rework of the legendary M1. It’s the result of a collaboration between BMW Classic and fashion brand Kith, which you might remember from its previous work with Bee-Em on limited edition M cars. Founder Ronnie Fieg is big into his BMWs (his collection will be shown alongside this M1 in Miami next week), and nothing makes your car brand look cooler than an association with a brand that sells £300 hoodies. Probably. This time instead of a limited run of production cars, Fieg has provided his input for a wonderful one-off classic.
The paint is the most obvious change for this M1, the Techno Violet purple probably best known from the E36 M3 and looking just as cool as you’d hope on the classic mid-engined supercar. It’s back for the new plug-in M5 as well, remember; Kith suggests that this car ‘bridges BMW’s past and present through the Kith lens’. So that means a beautifully redone interior as well, complete with BMW Individual Black Merino leather and the Kith monogram throughout. Plus another boot badge on the M1’s busy behind. It wouldn’t be unreasonable, typically, to say that the M1 was beyond much improvement, but it arguably looks better than ever now.
Though it is said to have been fully rebuilt using original parts, mechanically speaking this 1981 car is unaltered, which makes sense - this is an exhibit for an art week, after all. Plus, well, what could that famed M88 straight-six really benefit from? We’re told to expect more about the Kith BMW M1 when it’s fully revealed next Friday. Perhaps it’ll be auctioned, perhaps it’ll be another for the Ronnie Fieg collection - perhaps it’ll be headed to the BMW Museum. All we know is it’s already the greatest piece of art Miami will see for the next few days.
[All pictures courtesy of Kith]
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