- Not to be outdone by BMW Alpina, BMW Motorad has also unveiled a sleek, sexy concept.
- The Motorrad Vision K18 is designed around the company's 1800cc six-cylinder engine.
- The concept features hand-formed single piece side panels that are more than two metres long.
Along with the striking Vision BMW Alpina concept car unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, the company's Motorrad arm also whipped the covered off an equally striking motorbike concept - the Motorrad Vision K18.
BMW Motorrad says the K18 is a design study intended to showcase "a new approach to performance and luxury" by focusing on the brand's 1800cc inline six-cylinder engine, which serves as both "the technical and aesthetic centrepiece" of the K18.
According to the company, the K18's proportions are "directly influenced" by the engine, and features an elongated silhouette that draws inspiration from high-speed aircraft like the Concorde. To emphasise the six-cylinder layout, the design includes six air intakes, six tailpipes, and six LED headlights. Because, why not?
The intake system is a prominent feature at the front, where air is routed through - you guessed it - six individual tubes into a central air filter. In an effort to achieve a flat rear profile, designers swapped the traditional positions of the fuel tank and the airbox, resulting in a wide tail section framed in carbon fibre that houses the exhaust system.
The Vision K18 is built from a combination of industrial technology and traditional craftsmanship, such as hand-formed aluminium bodywork., including a seamless side panel measuring over two metres in length that is formed painstakingly by hand.
The K18 also features specialised surfaces created by "flame spraying", which provides a metallic appearance intended to evoke the look of classic racing exhaust headers.
BMW says a central element of the Motorrad Vision K18 is its "visual guiding idea" the company calls “The Heat of Speed”. A deliberately employed heat-haze effect "makes the power of the inline six-cylinder visible" and translates its performance into "an emotionally tangible image".
"With the BMW Motorrad Vision K18, we show how we interpret performance, luxury and emotion in a new, very confident way, said Markus Flasch, CEO BMW Motorrad.
"For us, the inline six-cylinder is far more than an engine - it is a statement. The Vision K18 translates this power into a sculptural form that makes dynamism and speed tangible even at a standstill. This bike stands for our passion to redefine the boundaries of design and performance repeatedly."
