Today, the Z3 Coupe – affectionally referred to as the “clown shoe” by most enthusiasts – is one of the most highly sought-after enthusiast BMW models out there. Its distinctive appearance, coupled with the fact that BMW managed to cram a delightful M3-sourced inline-six under the hood, makes it a quirky and undeniably special car for drivers looking for something a little bit different. But the clown shoe’s unorthodox looks can be clearly traced back to one of BMW’s more easily forgotten concept cars: the BMW Z1 Coupe Concept.
Origins: the Z1 Coupe Concept
BMW Technik was founded in 1985. Its primary purpose, early on, was to develop and construct concept vehicles. The Z1 Roadster was BMW Technik’s first project, a sporty roadster designed with an eye to legends like the 507. Well-received by both the public and BMW’s internal cognoscenti, the roadster got the green light. As the roadster went into production in June 1988, BMW Technik was already working on its next project. That’s this Z1 Coupe. Or, as BMW referred to it in comically German fashion, the Z2.
It wasn’t a big jump for BMW Technik. The Z1 Roadster was designed and engineered from the onset to work as both a coupe model and four-wheel drive model, the latter which never saw the light of day. The Z1 Roadster, being the experimental hotbed that it was, pioneered new construction techniques, materials, and development processes. All of these helped make it easily adaptable to the other body styles.
Where the BMW Z1 Coupe Ended Up
Unfortunately, the Z1 Coupe never made it into production – even as a prototype. The “off-roadster,” as BMW refers to it, only ever made it to early concept stages. The model you see here is made of clay, wood, and plastic. Spiritually, the Z2 lived on in the Z3, where we did at last see a coupe model. BMW claims lessons learned in developing and engineering the Z1 Coupe transferred into the aforementioned clown shoe as well as the later Z4 Roadster and Coupe that debuted in the mid-2000s.
The Z2’s lasting legacy? Well, think of it as an off-shoot of platform sharing. BMW says the Z1 Coupe was an exercise for engineers to explore “maximizing efficiency” of a vehicle concept to include “additional derivatives.” In lay terms, it perfected BMW Technik’s planning, designing, and development of concept cars. By considering all possible alterations – i.e., tweaking a roadster to be a coupe or all-wheel drive model – the concept can be engineered to allow for many different adaptations. The next time you admire a Z3 Coupe, you know who’s really to thank – the Technik team behind the Z1 Coupe. [Photos: BMW]