Al Dubai luxury
  • Please enable News ticker from the theme option Panel to display Post


BMW has produced some of the most prolific sports cars the world has ever seen since the automaker’s founding in 1913, with models like the M3 changing the performance car market for good. Others, such as the Z4 Roadster, combine an engaging driving experience with open-top thrills. Some of its offerings were a little more left-field, though.


BMW

BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW’s first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.

The Z1 fits this description perfectly, as it doesn’t follow the mold pressed by its legendary predecessors. This is mainly down to its bizarre door design, but also that it featured a tonne of forward-looking technology that set it apart from any other car the brand offered.

This feature explores the tale behind the unique BMW Z1 sports car, and why it had some of the weirdest doors ever fitted to a road car. All specifications were sourced from the manufacturer.

The Z1 Was Built To Help Advance BMW’s Vehicle Technology

The Z1’s story starts in 1985, when BMW set up a special internal think tank called BMW Technik GmbH. The idea of the setup was to allow BMWs best engineers to go crazy with their wackiest and most fascinating ideas and concepts, to figure out which ones could work, and which ones should be canned. The successful ones could then be developed further and included in the brand’s future road cars. The BMW Z1 was the first to emerge from the new department. It also created a bunch of other odd concepts that never saw production.

1987 BMW Z1 Specifications

Engine

2.5L NA I6

Power

170 hp

Torque

164 lb-ft

0-60 mph

< 8 seconds

Top Speed

140 mph

The Z1 Was Never Meant To Enter Production

The first bunch of ideas thought up by BMW Technik’s engineers were all put into a roadster that would become the Z1, though it was only ever meant to be used as a concept car to show off the tech. BMW first showed the car to the public in 1986, and potential customers tripped inundated BMW with requests to build it. Following the positive reception, BMW decided to show the car off properly at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show.

google news icon large

Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.

The Z1 received critical acclaim once more, which was enough to persuade BMW into finally putting it into production in 1988. While the fact that it was the first production drop-top roadster the marque had offered since the unsuccessful BMW 507 disappeared in 1959 was part of the reason for its popularity, its ground-breaking technology took the lion’s share of the attention. The headline of these additions was its bizarre doors.

Discussion


Discussion: What are the best old sports cars to invest in?

Old is subjective, but we feel anything pre-2000 counts as old since it’s coming up on 25 years. What are some of the greats? A late 90s Miata? A Mid-1960s Triumph? What about an MR2 from the 80s? Obviously, the 911 is a front-runner. Or Are there any picks out of left field you think deserve some attention?

The Z1 Has One Of The Weirdest Door Designs Ever

Unlike any car built before or since, the Z1s side doors didn’t open outward on hinges or slid back on rails, but instead slid electrically down into the bottom of the body. The bottom half of the body was essentially fixed in place, with the specially designed sill made wide enough so that the entire door could slide down into it. Drivers of the Z1 could even drive along with the doors fully retracted, as the sills were designed so that they could take a significant side impact, essentially making the doors purely aesthetic.

Having them down meant occupants could reach out easily from a seated position to grab things like parking passes, and you could even drive with the doors down. The shallow doors contained shallow windows that could be used independently from the doors, and first needed to be lowered before the door can drop down into its little den, so you don’t trip over the glass – or break it – while trying to get in or out. A double mechanical lock worked to keep the doors firmly fixed while driving, helping to prevent annoying rattling noises from entering the cabin.

The Doors Could Be Operated Manually

The doors worked thanks to a pair of electric motors and a toothed belt that allowed them to slide up and down quietly and quickly after tugging on a lever to activate them. To ensure the door could remain as light as possible, BMWs engineers made the choice to place all these components in the Z1s body, rather than the doors themselves. Should they ever go wrong, the motors were equipped with a freewheel function, which meant the windows and doors could be pulled up or pushed down manually when needed.

Related


Least Powerful Cars Ever Made With Gullwing Doors

Gullwing doors are normally associated with the fastest, sportiest high-end cars. These 5 models are the exception.

While the doors set the Z1 apart from its rivals, they didn’t catch on. In truth, they were a bit of a gimmick, mainly because the very high sills required to accommodate them made it trickier for people to climb into the cabin, and nigh impossible to do with any kind of dignity if the person wore a tight skirt. Still, they helped boost the Z1’s uniqueness and was a neat party trick.

The Z1s Doors Weren’t Its Only Party Trick

While the crazy doors were the Z1’s headline feature, it had more tucked under its sleeve. For one, the exterior color of the Z1 could be changed in just an hour. This was possible due to its bodywork being made of a series of plastic panels held onto the frame with screws, which could be removed and replaced with different panels painted in a different color, very much like Smart did when it launched its microcar. A special flexible lacquer paint had to be developed for use on the plastic panels too, giving it the look of normal paintwork seen on metal bodies.

For the most part, the Z1 was a conventional BMW underneath. It utilized the chassis, 2.5-liter straight-six powerplant, and five-speed manual gearbox from the E85 325i model, as well as its front MacPherson-strut suspension setup. BMW developed a new rear suspension layout for the Z1 though, with the multi-link configuration one of the first to feature on a BMW road car. The rear suspension consisted of three control arms, with two being transverse and one being longitudinal, which was named Z-axle.

Related


10 Awesome Cars With Butterfly Doors

Butterfly doors may be the most beautiful of them all, and there are a few visually titillating vehicles that show why

The layout allowed the car to ride around four inches lower than BMW’s other comparable models, while also providing effective anti-squat and dive control. The Z1s handling was lauded as a result, even if its 170-hp engine was a little gutless. The Z-axle would eventually see mass production in the E36 BMW 3 Series, replacing the E30’s rear trailing arms. In front, the Z1 used a MacPherson setup similar to the E30’s. Despite only 8,000 being made, the Z1s success led to a successor, the Z3, being launched in 1993.

The Z1 Is Worth A Fortune In 2025

As a result of its relatively low production volume, and unique design features, any interested gearheads will need to pull out a hefty sum of cash to secure one of their own these days. According to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool, even a run-of-the-mill example in good condition should set you back around $50,000 today, while one ranked as excellent will cost you north of $80,000. For drivers who accept nothing less than a concourse condition vehicle, you’ll need to fork out around $125,000.

1987 BMW Z1 Used Values

Concourse

$125,000

Excellent

$82,100

Good

$51,300

Fair

$34,300

Average Auction Sale Price

$61,520

That said, Z1 values have dropped significantly according to the resource. The Z1’s worth has dropped by over 16% across the board across the past 12 months, with mint examples worth a cool $150,000 in early 2024. Even normal cars in good condition were worth around $10,000 more than in early 2025, so there’s been no better time to take the plunge than now. That said, it can be tough trying to read the used car market.

Related


The Unconventional Design Of The Gullwing Door Explained

These unconventional car door designs often get confused for one another. Let’s explore the differences between them and other types of unusual doors.

This drop in value is also backed up by Classic.com, a site that collates auction listings from around the world. According to the site, the average auction sale price for a Z1 is $61,520, which has dropped significantly from the model’s highlight of $74,240 in March 2023. Its value has fluctuated over the past five years as per Classic’s records, so you’d best strike now to avoid missing the boat.

Sources: BMW, Hagerty, Classic.com.



Source link

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Get our latest downloads and information first. Complete the form below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.


100% secure your website.