BMW Concept Cars: 1991 and 1993 E1

[B C]

The tail lights on the Green Z15 look like they are from some other european hatchback but I cant figure out what it is. Like from some Fiat, Citroen, or Opel. Anyone else see what i'm seeing? 

A lot of the concept cars that BMW creates are not quite intended to become a future production model, but rather they are engineering exercises. The materials, production methods, and other designs developed during these engineering brainstorming sessions are not visible/known to the average Hans that is looking at pictures. Knowing more about their development brings me more amazement at least.  The BMW i3 production for example which I would like to highlight sometime in the future has some amazing sustainablity related production methods.

[Earl]

I like that about BMW as a company=)

[B C]

And for clarification, the E1 just means Electric  rather than a chassis code. So while a Z3 is an E36, the E1 is a "future" model with a Z chassis code (Z11/Z15) and not the other way around.

E=Entwicklungscode - Development Code 

Z=Zukunft - Future

[Earl]

Rad=P

[andyhundley]

Snap said:

This guy looks bored out of his mind!!

[Earl]

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[HipMF]

It's the music. Toss a Hasselhoff CD and see what happens...

[YoungCR]

Snap said:

The tail lights on the Green Z15 look like they are from some other european hatchback but I cant figure out what it is. Like from some Fiat, Citroen, or Opel. Anyone else see what i'm seeing?

Looks kinda like a Peugeot 206.

[B C]

I think I was seeing some Ford ZX2.

[Jdesign]

It sounds just how I expected. Like a very large cordless drill.

[straight6pwr]

as much as the styling was pretty blah and very 90s, at least the look fit the BMW brand.

thanks for sharing again, snap

[wally509]

Don't care about the car so much but that seat material is AWESOME!  GREEN!!

[patsbimmer1]

I'm currently reading BMW: Driven and it's funny because they really don't make mention of these cars.  I'm going to have to double back and see if I missed it somewhere but the book covers everything from the pre-world war's beginning, BMW and the Quandt families involvement in Nazi Germany up to the introduction of the e60 and the press disaster that it was.

[B C]

patsbimmer1 said:

......... the introduction of the e60 and the press disaster that it was.

Interesting. What was so bad with it?  Initial reception of Bangle styling?

[patsbimmer1]

Yea, that was really it. The way that BMW chooses designs makes it mandatory that 3 options are given and the board chooses one for production. The bangle styling was an attempt to forward design and apparently it was the only design up to that point that caused negative reviews. Although i think the argument could be made that its held up well and did further their design story via cues in the e90 and further.

[patsbimmer1]

Bangle is often chastised for the e60 but most people dont realize that he was head of design starring in '92. That's not a bad run in my opinion.

[patsbimmer1]

He's also from Wausau.

[B C]

cool that he is locally grown, now get him to join!

I think the E60 looks great

[Earl]

Snap said:

cool that he is locally grown, now get him to join!

I think the E60 looks great

Ban this man!

[patsbimmer1]

Earl said:

Ban this man!

I think it looks pretty good as well and responds really well to cosmetic upgrades. The m5 looks slightly understated while giving you just enough to know its special.