Does the BMW M1 Homage concept we saw yesterday try just a little too hard to impress? Does a bear shit in the woods? The gaping maw of modern styling is chewing through heritage designs at an astonishing rate, and starting to look at eras not often remembered fondly for its great cars. Just because the malaise era produced blasé cars doesn't mean there wasn't cool styling. It was 1970 and a young Giorgetto Giugiaro had joined Ital Design and, as his fourth concept car, produced the Porsche Tapiro. The Tapiro was based on the Porsche 914/6 but managed to break all of the Porsche molds.
It featured gull wing doors up front with a radical cut line around the windshield, and matching gull wings over the cargo area. The car had a longitudinally mounted air-cooled 2.4 liter flat 6 good for 220 HP and a 4 speed manual. Though it never really was intended for production, it's got all those great Italian styling elements from the era - wedge shape, enough glass for a dolphin aquarium, scant use of chrome, and plenty of nice geometrically shaped air ducting. If BMW wants to play around with styling elements of the seventies, they should feel free, just as long as they don't forget the stuff that was actually cool.

1970 Porsche Tapiro Concept

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Looks like a De Lorean ran into Lancia stratos. Except probably the Tapiro came before those two.

Since I owned a 914-6 for 13 years, I remember this car. I see it has the 914 seats and backrest but in leather. I think the 220hp from a 2.4 is a bit optimistic and the transmission would be a five-speed. Never liked the wheels.

I wonder where it is now.