BMW MODELO Z1 1992

When BMW presented the Z1 in 1988, it closed a cycle of more than 30 years in the German house did not have a two-seater. Its predecessor, the beautiful BMW 507, he had been the last issue and two-seater convertible of the brand, before that BMW is dedicated mainly to the larger sedans and passenger cars are as iconic as the BMW 2002.

BMW Technik had been commissioned by the board of directors of BMW to run a concept that represented the “freedom on four wheels”, giving more importance to the “driving pleasure and performance”, instead of “prevail only to the comfort, or the comfort of the models of the competition”. In sum, it should be a vehicle fun to drive and I had to let go of the formality and the coldness of Mercedes-Benz. The engineers drew the first lines of what would be the Z1, the first impression a compact with low centre of gravity and front engine.

One of the features of the Z1 was that it had been thought to use plastic in your body that is deformed to a blow, and the patient can return to the normal form, in addition to be changed or painted another color in less than 40 minutes if it was necessary, according to the brand. But what most attracted the attention of the Z1 were the doors to retractable sliding within the body of the vehicle and the material used for the preparation of the soil and the underside of the car, a special compound fiber of glass and plastic.

BMW introduced the Z1 in 1987 at the iaa in Frankfurt, causing an initial success is quite overwhelming. The orders to buy the little roadster began to literally rain down on Munich and it was revealed in the case of a German magazine that wanted at all costs to buy one of the prototypes, offering up to 100,000 frames of the time for him.

As a powertrain incorporating a 2.5 170 horses, maybe too much for the size and weight of the Z1, making the roadster the fastest in the world, with 240 km/h and maximum acceleration of less than 8 seconds, through a manual change of 5 speeds.

In spite of all the expectation that had risen up everywhere, the Z1 was far from a success for BMW. Released in 1988 at a price of 80,000 frames, it terminates its production in June of 1991, with 8,000 units produced. The brand ensures that it has been a success in spite of the limited production and that some of them survive today, at least 300,000 kilometers.

A roadster created even before the occurrence of the Mazda Miata/MX-5, considered as the precursor of this type of biplazas small. The Z1 has not been overly successful, nor even as well known as other models of the brand, but it was the precursor of rods technical solutions used later and not for nothing BMW will celebrate at the iaa in Frankfurt the 25 years of this convertible.