What we know!
The Z1 and its unusual doors, which instead of opening outward or upward drop down into the door sills, and body panels that can easily be removed, was a truly one of a kind and interesting vehicle to say the least! Developed by BMW and produced from March 1989 to June, 1991, the Z1 was powered by a 170 hp straight-six engine from the BMW 325i.
Its concept became a low-volume sports car thats looks were one for the books!
A product of the BMW Technik GmbH, a think tank that dreams up clever new vehicles and technology, the Z1 made its public debut in the summer of 1987 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was immediately a hit, with the public falling in love with the design. In those early days, orders for the vehicle were built up, so much so that by the time production began in 1989, BMW already had 4,000 orders for this fancy roadster.
Throughout its production, more and more were built, and by the end of the run , about 8,000 examples were built and sold. Even now, 25 years later, the popularity for these types of vehicles has not waned.
Innovative in its design in so many wonderful ways, the Z1’s monocoque was made from sheet metal that was doused in zinc to aid in increasing its structural rigidity, while the body itself was made from plastics. The automaker used advanced plastic composites, extremely light and strong, in this process. In fact, the bumpers have the ability to return to their original shapes after impacts at up to 2.5 mph when deformed, and the body panels, too, were strong enough to resist any dents without visible damage.
The Z1 even had the ability to change colors, nearly in an instant and with the use of a screwdriver, with body panels having the ability to be replaced in under an hour. Drivers had their choice from four fun colors, with the name to match and including Nature Green, Dream Black, Fun Yellow and Top Red. There were also electric doors, which utilized two motors and a toothed belt to retract into the sides of the car. Because of this, owners had the distinct ability to drive with the doors essentially “open.” These unique doors also had retractable windows and a
special freewheel feature so they could be opened and closed manually if there was a mechanical issue.
Under hood, the 2.5-liter inline-six and its 170 hp were paired with a five-speed manual transmission that sent power to the rear wheels. This roadster jumped from 0-60 mph in less than eight seconds and boasted an impressive top speed of 140 mph. Pure enjoyment was found here when it came to handling, with the Z1 said to offer almost “go-kart” like feel, made clear with its near-perfect 49:51 weight balance and a center of gravity that was 4 inches lower than in a 3 Series sedan. Its top handling was based on a new multi-link axle comprising two transverse control arms and one longitudinal control arm.
An innovator with clearly looks that kill, the Z1 paved the way for the Z3 roadster, which launched in 1996 and then was later replaced by the Z4 in 2002. The first modern mass-market roadster produced by BMW was the Z3, which made its intro for the 1996 model year after being featured in the ever-popular James Bond classic “GoldenEye.” Unveiled as a successor to the Z1, although it did not include the same unusual style elements, it was a vehicle that sold thousands by the time it was presented. At that time, it was available with a 1.8-litre engine that developed 115 hp or a 1.9-litre engine with an output of 140 hp.
In 1997, BMW then launched the Z3 M Roadster, with greater power at 321 hp from its 3.2-litre straight-six engine from the M3. It featured huge wheels, flared arches and mirrors and dials, all exclusive to M. Despite that, it did not fare as well as the Z3M Coupe.
Moving forward in 2002, and after the overwhelming success of the Z3, BMW began the production of the all-new Z4 Roadster, with initial models featuring six cylinder engines which came in a variety of pleasing colors. The Z4 Roadster and the Z4 M Coupe, which debuted in 2006, had their power from the six-cylinder engine of the M3, propelling this model to a staggering top speed of 155 mph.
Following a model refresh in 2009 where the fabric top was replaced with a retractable hard top along with other design changes, this vehicle went on to a production of under 100,000 cars, ending its ride after 14 years. A new Z4 concept car became available in 2019, going on to become available only as a soft top roadster with three engine options. Those were a 2 litre; a 2 liter turbocharged and a 3.0 liter turbocharged.
With a production run from 2000-2003, the Z8 and its powerful 5.0-litre V8 engine which produces 400 hp and was mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, became a collector’s item and was not considered the ultimate driving machine. However, it featured retro undertones and key style elements.
The Z8 was the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car, the latter of which paid homage to the 507 roadster of the 1950s. The limited production of the Z8 included about 5,700 vehicles. Next up was the Alpina Roadster V8, featuring a 4.8-litre V8 engine that was fitted in place of the standard car’s 5.0-litre unit, and produced 381 hp for a more relaxed and smoother ride.
In the area of concepts, there was also the four-seat Z9, introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1999 and considered striking with its gull-wing doors. Much of the styling found on the E63 6 Series is also derived from the Z9, which did not make it into production, although many of its innovations did.
Rich in history and surely with the looks like no other, this line of roadsters features innovative and fascinating design. A legendary lineup, they were true leaders of the pack! Zzzzz’s got the look – and there's a clear reason why!
