If you'll permit us to express ourselves like some sort of giddy American teenager: Oh. My. God. This is a teaser shot of something heading to the Concorso d'Eleganza at the Villa d'Este, on the shores of Lake Como, Italy - and to say we're excited by it is an understatement of the sort of proportions that Cecil B. DeMille might think were a bit OTT.
It is called the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage and it is BMW Design Team's tribute to one of Munich's most iconic vehicles, the E9 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile' introduced in 1972 - a car that earned ever-lasting automotive deity status thanks to its illicit bodykit (it was illegal to sell them in Germany fully bewinged, so BMW stuck everything you needed in its boot at the showroom) and immense prowess on the race track.
Details of the newcomer, at this stage, are scarce and there's no word about which BMW chassis/drivetrain the CSL Hommage is built on, so don't expect something that might go into production (but we can dream, can't we?). What you can see from the teaser image is that the body evokes that classic from the '70s, with wide wheel arches, prominent roof and rear spoilers and big air intakes. Unlike the old legend, this new variation makes extensive use of carbon fibre to ensure the 'L' of its moniker is thoroughly justified and it seems to be painted in Golf (or Gulf) Yellow, a bona fide correct hue found on the E9.
BMW also says the inside of the 3.0 CSL Hommage is "rigorously pared-down", with all items found in the cabin said to be "absolutely essential, with each constituent having a high-quality structural or driving-related function". Like children counting down the sleeps until Christmas, we simply can't wait to see this thing in all its glory.
Anything else?
The Concorso d'Eleganza takes place later this month, with the CSL Hommage unveiled on 22 May. For now, it's quite simple - feast your eyes. Then salivate. And bemoan the achingly slow passage of time.