There are a number of BMWs with a Z in their name. Z3, Z4, or even Z8. A two-seater Roadster is always hidden underneath, a real sports car in the spirit of the best traditions. This story, which still exists today in the form of the third-generation Z4, was started in the late 1980s by the possibly most technically interesting Z1.

Even people who aren’t interested in cars know the BMW Z3 available today, and on the other hand the very expensive aluminum modern retro Z8, based on the shape and concept of the BMW 507. That’s if they like 007 James Bond movies. In the 1990s and early in the new millennium, he said goodbye to British models Aston Martin and Lotus and sat behind the wheel of a BMW car. The Z1 was first introduced to the public at the autumn IAA motor show in Frankfurt am Main in 1987 without further description as a mere concept. Behind him is a group of developers from the young department of BMW Technik GmbH, whose goal is the development of new technologies and unusual technical solutions. According to the materials of that time, they had relatively free hands, the only presumed condition was that the developed technology could be used in serial production as soon as possible.

The interest is quite large

At the time there was talk of a reincarnation of the classic 1960s two-seater British roadster. Although they were also produced in the seventh and eighth decades of the 20th century (eg, MGB), they were the product of several smaller companies, often sustained by modernization since the sixties (including the aforementioned MG). Conceptually, the BMW Z1 corresponds to the British roadster it is remembered for, but technically and actually in terms of design it is a very modern and timeless project. After all, the model name itself hints at it, where the letter Z stands for Zukunft, that is, future.