Manufacturer BMW Class Concept car | Production 1995 Body style Roadster | |
Engine 4.4 L V8, 355 hp (260 kW) | ||
BMW Z18 - concept car combined the best of two worlds, roadsters and SUVs.
Concept car
The BMW Z18 concept vehicle of 1995 was the first off-road roadster developed by BMW. This was a period when the desire for versatile mobility under the open skies and the yearning to explore off-road terrain had triggered a boom in the market for Enduro motorcycles.
BMW Technik GmbH transferred idea to an automobile. The BMW Z18 crossed category boundaries by combining the feelings of a convertible with the robustness and versatility of an off-road vehicle.
An eight-cylinder engine producing 260 kW/355 hp powered the roadworthy prototype, while a four-wheel drive designed with technical complexity provided the necessary off-road capability.
The plastic body was mounted on a framework made from steel extrusions and was not dissimilar to a boat – the BMW Z18 was able to drive effortlessly through flat stretches of water.
The variable interior concept – configurations as two-seater, four-seater and pick-up were engineered into the design – made the unusual concept vehicle a true multi-tasker from several points of view.
The BMW Z18 was premiered on the public stage five years after it had been created.