BMW M has confirmed that it’s developing a new halo supercar, one that could revive the spirit of the M1 from the late 1970s. Though the company hasn’t released any official details yet, the news has already sparked creative interpretations. Among them is a striking digital study by independent designer Sebastiano Ciarcia, who has envisioned his own version of a next-generation BMW exotic. He calls it the Ethos.

More: BMW Almost Launched An All-Electric Hypercar With 1,300 HP

This digital concept channels the same energy as the striking Nazca C2 prototype from the early 1990s, originally penned by Italdesign. There are also clear influences from the BMW i8 and the Vision M Next concept from 2019, both of which serve as recent milestones in BMW’s design evolution.

A Study in Surface and Stance

The BMW Ethos has a dramatic, low-slung stance with a wide footprint. A glass canopy covers the cabin, while partially exposed rear wheels recall the look of vintage Italian exotics. Up front, Ciarcia reimagines BMW’s signature kidney grille with a cleaner, body-colored design and a small, offset BMW badge. According to the designer, the grille pays tribute to BMW classics from the 1950s, like the 503 and 507.

Another highlight is the LED headlights which are integrated within the front intakes, slightly reminiscent of Peugeot‘s 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar. The sculpted fenders are protruding from the rest of the bodywork, contributing to the athletic profile. Ciarcia describes the surfacing as “a contrast of soft and hard volumes”.

Around back, the Ethos features a slim, full-width LED light bar, an active spoiler, and an aggressive diffuser to tie it all together.

Illustrations Sebastiano Ciarcia

Designed With Future Powertrains in Mind

Although the concept doesn’t display any obvious signs of an internal combustion engine, it isn’t imagined as fully electric either. Instead, Ciarcia envisions a hydrogen fuel-cell setup that could deliver performance on par with a modern hypercar, an approach that leaves the door open for alternative propulsion technologies.

To help bring the design to life, the Ethos has been rendered in a Champagne finish and placed in a setting that feels perfectly suited: the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy. It’s the same venue that BMW introduced the limited-production Speedtop shooting brake this year, following the Skytop from 2024 and 2023’s Z4-based Touring Coupe.

More: BMW Scrapped A 95% Finished Supercar For The XM SUV

When it comes to potential rivals for the Ethos, the designer points to a wide range of high-performance supercars and hypercars, including the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Aston Martin Valhalla, and Ferrari F80. Perhaps the closest match, though, would be the rumored all-electric supercar from Mercedes-AMG, previewed in 2023 by the Vision One-Eleven concept.

Ciarcia is an Italian automotive designer currently based in Gothenburg, Sweden. A graduate of IAAD, he has worked with several major automakers, including Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Rimac, and Volvo. CarScoops readers might recognize his name from a few years back, when he unveiled an impressive mid-engined reinterpretation of the Lancia Delta.

For more of his work, you can follow Sebastiano Ciarcia on Instagram.

Sebastiano Ciarcia

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sebastiano Ciarcià (@sebastiano_ciarcia)

How does an almost unknown brand launch a supercar in 2025? Well, Oilstainlab thinks it has the answer with its HF-11, a mid-engined beast to be sold as an ICE and an EV, complete with a design that looks like a mix between a Porsche 911 and an Aston Martin Valkyrie. Several months after the car was first announced, some enticing powertrain specs have seen the light of day.

Oilstainlab names the likes of the Porsche Carrera GT, Sauber C9, and Gordon Murray T.50 as competitors for the HF-11. So, it’s no surprise that it’s working on some very exciting powertrains for it. Those who want an ICE will have a choice between a 4.6-liter flat-six or a larger 5.0-liter flat-six, both of which will be mid-mounted right behind the carbon fiber passenger cell.

Read: See Photos Of The $2.3M Oilstainlab Half-11 That Looks Like A Porsche Gone Wild

The “entry-level” 4.6-liter model will pump out 600 hp, a very solid figure considering the car only weighs 2,000 lbs or 910 kg. But, 600 hp is nothing compared to what the 5.0-liter model will have. According to the firm, it’ll have a whopping 1,200 hp, presumably achieved through a pair of turbochargers bolted to the flat-six.

Despite the flagship engine’s big displacement, considering it only has six cylinders, it’ll reportedly rev all the way to 12,000 rpm. When combined with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed sequential, this engine should make the HF-11 an absolute animal capable of proper hypercar speeds. Both ICE versions will be rear-wheel drive.

Oilstainlab is also developing an all-electric version. It will pack around 850 hp, and customers will be able to order both the ICE and electric powertrains, as they’re switchable via a subframe swap.

The small American company plans to build just 25 examples of the HF-11. The standard model will cost around $1.85 million, but those wanting both the ICE and electric powertrains will need to cough up $2.3 million.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Exotics On Broadway (@exoticsonbroadway)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by XPEL Los Angeles | PPF, Tint, Vinyl, Ceramic, Dry Ice ++ (@405motoring)

An average zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) time of less than 3 seconds means Ferraris are never slow off the mark. But Maranello just put the brakes on its new EV, pushing the launch back two years, according to a new report.

Ferrari will still launch its first electric car, the Elettrica, in spring 2026 after kick-starting the teaser campaign for it into life this fall. But the company’s second EV, which was also due for release the same year, won’t now see the light of day until 2028, Reuters says.

Related: Ferrari’s First EV Could Supercharge Its Sales In The World’s Biggest Market

According to the author’s two sources, Ferrari ascertained demand was too weak to risk pressing ahead with the scheduled debut, a viewpoint shared by other automakers operating in the luxury-performance space. Lamborghini recently delayed its first EV from 2028 to 2029, Maserati axed development of its electric MC20, Aston Martin’s boss has said buyers don’t want electric cars and brands like Porsche have rejigged their plans to adapt future EVs to take combustion engines.

Ferrari has only confirmed that it’s working on one EV, but Reuters claims that first car, co-designed by former Apple design boss Jony Ive, is merely a “symbolic milestone” model to introduce us to the idea of an electric Ferrari and will be built in small numbers. The report describes the EV as costing over $500,000 and being “larger than normal” but definitely not an SUV.

It claims the second, delayed, electric car is the one that could really change things for Ferrari, or it might have, if the Italian supercar brand could find enough people who wanted it. Although the report gives no indication about what form the second EV will take, it says Maranello had planned to make 5-6,000 units over a five-year model life, but can’t envisage selling that many in the current climate. Ferrari declined to comment when asked about the allegations.

At least a delay will give Ferrari plenty of time to get the EV right before showing it to the world. Late last year we reported on claims that Porsche was delaying its electric Boxster and Cayman due because it was struggling to make the heavier electric sports cars handle as well as the outgoing combustion versions.

SHProshots

The Middle East is home to an impressive array of supercars and exotic vehicles, which, unsurprisingly, sometimes meet unfortunate fates. These damaged cars often end up in junkyards, where they are dismantled for spare parts. Hagerty recently explored some of the vast automotive graveyards of Dubai and unearthed a few noteworthy discoveries, most notably, a wrecked example of the brand-new Lotus Eletre.

More: This Japanese Shop Is The World’s Top Destination For Restoring Nissan GT-Rs

Lotus introduced its first fully electric SUV, the Eletre, in 2022, though deliveries didn’t officially begin until 2024. The example found in the junkyard doesn’t appear to have any obvious cosmetic damage, so those shiny yellow body panels might still be good for salvage. However, the air suspension has failed, causing the car to sit lower than usual, and the door handles are popped out, likely due to some internal issues.

While the specific details of the Lotus Eletre’s condition are unclear, it’s possible that it was involved in one of the flash floods reported in the refion, which could easily spell the end for any car, especially one with so much advanced electronics inside. Depending on how high the water reached, the electronics could be toast, and the cabin could have taken on some serious damage.

An Unexpected Collection of Exotics

This yellow Eletre is just one of many sporty and luxury vehicles that keep piling up in Dubai’s junkyards. Well-known automotive photographer Larry Chen, based in Los Angeles, recently toured one of these vast yards, showcasing a variety of damaged vehicles from brands like Bentley, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati.

According to Chen, it was likely one of the most colorful junkyards he’s ever visited, thanks to the eye-catching color palettes found in high-end cars.

The video, shared on Hagerty’s YouTube channe, offers a closer look at the incredible variety of vehicles and their varying degrees of damage. As Chen pointed out, the junkyard is well-organized, with specific rooms dedicated to various car parts.

That’s good news for anyone hoping to salvage some components, because, as he noted, some parts can be eye-wateringly expensive. A set of carbon ceramic brakes, for example, could cost up to $50k when purchased new. The same applies for body panels, accessories, and mechanical components from high-end cars like the V12-powered Ferrari 812 Superfast.

More: LA Junkyard Hides Treasure Trove Of Million-Dollar Classics Left To Rot

A nearby junkyard also focuses on American muscle cars, from brands like Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge, providing spare parts to meet the demand in that market.

Overall, Chen was impressed by the range of enthusiast vehicles found in the junkyard, a rare sight in many US-based yards. These types of cars, often worth far more than a standard junkyard find, tell an interesting story of how some of the world’s most coveted machines can end up discarded. You can watch the full 30-minute video of Chen’s tour above.