Top 10 Coolest/Strangest/Funkiest BMW Concepts

on April 10, 2015 at 2:06 pm

People say: “You are what you drive!”

I say: “Alright, today I’m driving a BMW.”

There are countless stories about BMW cars that have been told by its fans, from how much they love their Bimmers to how much fun driving a BMW is. It’s a car company that is forever pushing its own boundaries to explore new levels of automotive achievements. A company full of dreamers who like to create purely for the sake of creating!

BMW has never wanted to be the second one. Its people like to make things that no one else has done before. And it all starts in the concept phase. How many concepts BMW has made before? So many. It’s one of a few brand names that has its own Museum. So, let’s take a look at the coolest/strangest/funkiest BMW concepts:

1972 E25 Turbo

Built as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the E25 Turbo was an extreme version of the M1 supercar. It was designed by Paul Bracq, with gullwing doors and was based on a modified 2002 chassis with a mid-mounted engine and all the best technologies in the ‘70s, including a radar system to warn drivers of curbs. It was way beyond people’s imagination of how groovy this concept could be. The car developed 206 kW at 7100 rpm and reached 62 MPH from a standstill in 6.6 seconds before reaching the top speed of 155 MPH.

2011 328 Hommage Concept

The 2011 concept would recall beautiful memories of the 1930s concept — one of the dream sports cars back in that time. The 2011 328 Hommage Concept is a two-seater, straight-six engined, metallic-constructed roadster. It has the familiar kidney-shaped BMW grille stretched upright in dramatic fashion, and the interior and exterior make heavy use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. There are no doors, just deep recesses — a design that reflects wildness and freedom.

1995 Z18 Concept

It was the first off-road roadster developed by BMW. Quite odd with a high space frame, some say the 1995 Z18 is one of the ugliest cars they’ve ever seen in their entire life. In my opinion, I think it’s worth trying in order to make the best cars. The body was made out of plastic. A V8 engine and the interior was reconfigurable as well.

1969 Spicup

Built as both a spider and a coupe, the Spicup was the work of Bertone and Marcello Gandini — designer of the Lamborghini Miura and Countach. “ A highlight of the design was the three-piece sliding top made of stainless steel.” — Richard Owen. Too strange to be successful! The concept was totally out-of-place with BMW’s refined model line and was not suitable for production.

1991 Nazca Concept

Words that are in my mind now: Formula 1, McLaren, and Futuristic. The Ital Design Nazca project is still one of the best remembered concept cars from this studio and Giugiaro. Both the frame and body were carbon fiber, and it housed a mid-mounted 5.0 liter V12 engine. Gullwing doors with 360-degree visibility of course! Unfortunately, this concept never turned into a reality.

X Concept Coupe

The X-Coupe was a concept crossover coupe from BMW debuting at the 2001 North American Motor Show in Detroit. As a product of the controversial BMW Chief Designer, Chris Bangle, this design philosophy uses body panels which are able to turn back on themselves in a series of convex and concave lines. Bangle called it as his “Flame Surfacing” concept.

M1 Hommage Concept

Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este in Italy, the concept is clearly a throwback to the original M1. “Like the original, the new M1 project is sleek, wide and ahead of its time.” — Richard Owen.

BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia

BMW is not a stranger in retro style. It’s like a young gentleman who loves his father’s cars, who can tell you what special about each model, and who truly respects those memories from the father. The BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia evokes the lines of the classic 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe. The carbon fiber bodywork of the Concept is a modern aerodynamic interpretation of the aluminum-bodied Touring Coupe that wraps around the capable chassis and drivetrain of the BMW Z4 Coupe.

GINA Concept

The GINA — Geometry and functions In ‘N’ Adaptations — is a fabric-skinned shape-shifting sports car concept designed by Chris Bangle, Head of design, who says GINA allowed his team to “challenge existing principles and conventional processes”. It explores the possibility of a car’s exterior as being completely flexible — from variable lines to hingeless doors, to even eyelid headlights — in one of the most fascinating design studies we’ve ever seen in years.

2009 BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics

In a world that is afraid to rollout too many far-flung concept cars, BMW made a splash with a radical one for the industry. It brings the future back to present, or perhaps it brings our present toward the future. The BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics is the most significant and forward-thinking car on the road today. It has the look of a sports car with the consumption and emission values of a compact car. The strength of the plug-in hybrid system, in the perfect synchronization of electric motor and combustion engine, makes itself apparent in maximum efficiency and dynamics on the road.