This Is The BMW M1 Vs. i8 Track Showdown You've Been Waiting For

Come on. You know you've been wondering this since the BMW i8 came out. What's it like compared to the old BMW M1?

It's not every day BMW comes out with a mid-engined sports car, so the two are definitely worth comparing on some levels. Besides their drivetrain layout, both cars represent the best of what BMW could do in their time, the peak level of technology that could be put into a car.

Beyond that, the cars diverge pretty sharply. The i8 is a rolling technology lab, an efficient and fast futuremobile with hybrid power and carbon fiber everything. The M1 was a sports car. It was built to run with exotics and to win at racing, and its inline six started the M legend.

Auto Express took one example of each to the track to see how they really stack up when they're driven back to back. Not surprisingly, they're pretty different, both because of their unique purposes and 30 years of technology between them.

The i8 is off to a strong start in terms of hype and enthusiasm, but will it live up to the M1's legend? I'd still like to see one on a race track.