Thursday 1st April 2010

Pic Fest: 25 Years Of BMW Technik

BMW R&D division celebrates quarter century with a feast of concepts

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Z1 was BMW Technik's first project

BMW’s R&D wing, BMW Technik GmbH, is celebrating its 25th birthday. To mark the occasion, the boys and girls from Munich have officially revealed (or more accurately re-revealed) a whole host of historical concept cars created over the past quarter-century.

Highlights of the collection include a 1988 Z1 coupe based on the drop-top Z1 (which was Technik’s very first project), a fuel-cell hyrid based on a 1-series, a 4wd V8 off-road buggy called the Z18, the six-pot M3-powered Z29 coupe (a symphony in carbon fibre, plastic and aluminium and a bodyless sports car concept similar to an Ariel Atom.

Z1 Coupe concept remained just that - a concept

The company was founded in 1985 in order to concentrate on "the development and construction of concept vehicles". In 2003 Technik was rebranded BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH, as the company shifted focus to develop technology for all BMW vehicles

Today, BMW Technik employs around 200 people and is currently working on the development of in-car information and communication systemes, driver safety and assistance tech, alternative drive concepts, hydrogen and - er, well - general vehicle engineering.

Nice people that we are, we’ve posted some of the zaniest conceptual highlights of BMW Technik’s work to date (above and below). All captioned-up and everything…

Unbelievably, the Z3 got the production nod over this, the Just 4/2	Z13 from 1993 had 1-plus-2 seating and a rear-mounted engine
Z18 was a wacky off-road buggy...	...a touch of E36 3-series in the rear, maybe?
2001 Z29 had a carbon fibre monocoque and M3 engine	Z22 had 5-series space in 3-series dimensions

[chunkymonkey71]

So it would appear that BMW designed the Ssangyong Rodius then?

[Garlick]

Ha! April Fo....

Oh.

[sootyrumble]

Hmmmm the Z29 is lovely

[neil_bolton]

sootyrumble said:

Hmmmm the Z29 is lovely

Is it just me, or is that Z29 a Z4 with Mk3 Mondeo lights slapped on the front?

[E21_Ross]

surely this is an april fools?

either way, they are some very ugly cars!!!! the only one remotely ok is the Z29 thingy.

Edited by E21_Ross on Thursday 1st April 11:12

[smellyantz]

definately the z29 for me. and i bet the z18 would be a blast as an expensive beach buggy!

[Oddball RS]

Not too sad many of these didn't make it.

[ctallchris]

Jeez and people said the rear end of the 6 Series was bad... I now see it in a whole different light.

[soad]

neil_bolton said:

sootyrumble said:

Hmmmm the Z29 is lovely

Is it just me, or is that Z29 a Z4 with Mk3 Mondeo lights slapped on the front?

Looks a bit like ford focus lights to me.

[HereBeMonsters]

The open wheeled thing is quite cool. Ish.

[UncappedTag]

Very poor effort, must try harder. Scrapping the barrel with this one.

0/10

[havoc]

I prefer their newspaper advert with the politically-coloured roundels!

[ZesPak]

Wow, so BMW is actually the only manufacturer that makes it's production cars better looking than the concepts?

[V]

Unimpressed.

[V6Alfisti]

I thought this was an April fools until I did some interweb searching.

Unbelievably bad :/

[Forza_Roma]

soad said:

neil_bolton said:

sootyrumble said:

Hmmmm the Z29 is lovely

Is it just me, or is that Z29 a Z4 with Mk3 Mondeo lights slapped on the front?

Looks a bit like ford focus lights to me.

Crossfire?

[Gizmo!]

What, no E2?

[Cotty]

HereBeMonsters said:

The open wheeled thing is quite cool. Ish.

I remember it from years back. Never thought it would go into production.

I really want them to make this

[Cotty]

I think the Z9 looks good

[geoffracing]

ZesPak said:

Wow, so BMW is actually the only manufacturer that makes it's production cars better looking than the concepts?

Exactly the words I wanted to use!
Although I don't find BMWs perfect in design, at BMW they do seem to have fairly good taste as they have prevented us from seeing all those on the road!
But of course the Z1 and Z29 are fine.