BMW launched its Z-Car program with a unique composite-bodied Z1 with drop-down doors that was never exported to North America.
Jurgen Otto's "Federalized" Z1 & Beechcraft Bonanza.
After its debut at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show, rumors of 35,000 orders in 1988 initiated by speculators, salted the market. Prior to actual production in 1989, BMW had 5,000 orders for the Z1. When the smoke had cleared, BMW sold 8,000 Z1s between March 1989 and June 1991and then cancelled production. Almost 6,500 Z1s were sold in Germany and approximately 550 were sold in Italy. The rest were scattered around Europe. While some made their way to the U.S., BMW never homologated the Z1 for legal export to North America.
Decades before BMW showed its unique composite body Z1 roadster with “disappearing” doors in Frankfurt, Kaiser-Fraser was selling its slick fiberglass-bodied Darrin roadster with sliding doors. The Darrin’s doors slid back into the rear quarters while the Z1 doors dropped down into the sills. Kaiser sold just 435 Darrin roadsters in its one-year (1954) production run.
The BMW Z1 was designed over a three-year period by in-house stylists including lead designer, Harm Lagaay and its development was headed Dr. Ulrich Bez, and his team at BMW Technik GmbH. Control of the project was turned over to Dr. Klaus Faust when Bez left for Porsche in October 1988. Dr. Bez is best known as CEO of Aston Martin.
BMW's Z-car family, L to R, Z1, Z3, Z8 and Z4.
BMW used the Z1 to develop and later debut several technologies, including helping generate patents for BMW's high-intensity discharge lamps (HID), integrated roll-bar, door mechanism, and its unique underbody tray.
Specially engineered for the Z1, its platform features a number of innovative features: removable body panels, continuously zinc welded seams, a composite undertray, and the unusual dropped doors. Parts of the car (including the engine, gearbox, and front suspension) were borrowed from theBMW E30 325i, but the Z1 remains largely unique.
The Z1 body was made from plastic and could be removed completely from the chassis. The side panels and doors are made of General Electric's XENOY thermoplastic. The hood, trunk, and roof cover are GRP components made by Seger + Hoffman AG. All Z1s are painted in a special flexible lacquer finish developed jointly by AKZO Coatings and BMW Technik GmbH.
Early Z1 with full set of removable body panels.
During the Z1’s launch, BMW suggested that owners purchase an additional set of body panels and change the color of the car from time to time. The car could actually be driven with all of the panels completely removed, similar to the Pontiac Fiero. While BMW stated that the body could be completely replaced in 40 minutes, Z1 owners who tried to accomplish this found the timing to be optimistic!
The Z1 was designed with aerodynamics in mind. Its entire undertray is completely flat and the muffler and rear valance were designed as integral aerodynamic components to decrease turbulence and rear lift. According to BMW, the front end induces a high-pressure zone just forward of the front wheels to increase front-wheel traction. The Z1 has a drag coefficient of 0.36 with the top up or 0.43 with it down.
Doors retract vertically down into the car's body instead of swinging outward or upward. The inspiration for these doors came from more traditional vintage roadsters that often featured removable metal or cloth doors. Because the body, with its high sills, offers crash protection independent of the doors, the vehicle may be legally and safely driven with the doors up or down.
Z1 could be driven with doors up or down.
Windows may be operated independently of the doors, although they do retract automatically if the door is lowered. Both the windows and doors are driven by electric motors through toothed rubber belts and they may be moved manually in an emergency.
Both the engine (BMW M2B25) and the five-speed manual gearbox (Getrag 260/5) were sourced from the E30 325i. The 2.5-liter, 12-valve SOHC engine sits tilted 20 degrees to the right to accommodate the low hood line. In stock condition, the engine produces 170 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 164 pound-feet of torque.
The rear suspension (Z-axle) was specially designed for the Z1 and was one of the first BMWs to feature a multi-link design. In the 1990s, the Z-axle was used on a variety of BMW Groupvehicles, including the E36 BMW 3-Series and the R40 Rover 75. The Z1 was fitted with 7-inch-wide, 15-inch wheels shod with 205/55VR-15 tires.
Soft convertible top is manually operated.
German “tuners” Alpina, Hamann-Motorsport, Schnitzer and Kelleners had high-performance versions of the Z1. The Hamann program included a 220-horsepower 2.7-liter or turbocharged 245-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. Schnitzer did a 2.7-liter conversion rated at 200 horsepower and Kelleners' hot Z1 offered 286–330 horsepower 3.0-liter engines.
Alpina had a special arrangement with BMWS AG to modify BMW Z1 vehicles and badge them RLE (Roadster Limited Edition). Alpina built 66 of these, although BMW notes that 82 can be tracked through Alpina. The RLE featured an upgraded 200-horsepower 2.7-liter engine, sport muffler, HO tires, and unique plaques and stripes. The Alpina RLE accelerated from 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds (stock: 8.4 seconds) and a top speed of 142 mph (stock:136 mph). Records show that at least one Z1 was fitted with a 325 horsepower E34 M5 engine.
Sarasota Café Racer Jurgen Otto, left, brought his red Z1 into the U.S. and converted it himself to comply with DOT and EPA specifications. He flies a Beechcraft Bonanza and he and his wife also own a Z8, Z3 and an M1.
For more Z1 information and to communicate with Z1 owners and fans, check out,
http://www.bmw-z1.de/English/cluborganisation.html