BMW's i8 successor claimed to be too expensive.

New supercars are probably going to be become a rarity, in the post-corona world.

As uncertainty remains about how the global economy will restructure itself in the coming months, brands who have invested in new ‘sustainable’ supercars, are shelving the projects.

The latest of these is BMW. When it revealed its Vision M concept vehicle, traditional fans of the Bavarian brand were excited. Vision M blended dramatic styling and compact packaging, promising an agile supercar driving experience.

BMW had cleverly configured the Vision M’s technical specification. It was powered by a plug-in hybridized petrol drivetrain, which meant that in a stringent emissions future, it would not be taxed into ruin. The company even commissioned Hans Zimmer to produce an augmented sound signature, for the car.

With the Vision M, designers had wished to revive the drama of BMW’s legendary M1, with an evolved i8 driving experience. But that possibility has now faded to nothing.

The Vision M was always going to be a marginal business case, for BMW. Low-volume supercars need enormous per-unit pricing to be profitable, especially when they are debuting new technology. And BMW was always going to struggle with pricing the Vision M at Lamborghini levels.

With an unstable technology supply chain and massive doubts concerning demand in some of its global markets, BMW’s board has made the decision to cancel its Vision M production plans.

For the remainder of 2020, survival is the aim. BMW must, therefore, consolidate the production of vehicles it is guaranteed to profit from, and Vision M was not considered to be one of those.

The car will remain in prototype form and become a storied part of BMW’s museum curation.

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