BMW continues to push the boundaries in its own vehicles to research and try new degrees of achievement. While some people complain that this has made the company veer from the principles that have made it so loved, the truth is that BMW is held dear in the hearts of loyal customers because of its exploration and development of new genres. Would the super sedans that they know and adore from the modern era exist if it wasn’t for the original, initially controversial M5?
There have always been mad scientists and dreamers at BMW, and these are simply people who like to make things just to make them. They enjoy creating things that haven’t been developed before, and this starts during the concept stage of any new product.
Concept vehicles are a great means for showing off design languages and technologies that can be used in automobile production in the future. These concepts don’t usually make it to the production stage; what does make it to this stage are the lessons that the designers learn while making them. Ultimately, this is the purpose of concept vehicles: to play with and learn from ideas that could eventually be produced and sold.
Every once in a while, a concept vehicle makes it to the production line without many changes. When this happens, the public gets something very special such as the BMW i8. With that said, here is a list of the strangest, coolest and best concept vehicles that BMW has developed.
10. 1972 E25 Turbo 
This is one more case in which a concept car remained largely unchanged to the assembly line. The E25 Turbo was developed for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany and was a proving ground for technologies during the decade. It was even a showcase for a radar system that warned drivers when they became too close to a curb or various other objects. In the 1970s, this technology was considered extremely cool. It’s rather obvious that the design language of the E25 Turbo was implemented in the M1 and 8 Series.
9. 2011 328 Hommage Concept 
BMW built the 328 Hommage as a revision to the 1930s edition of the 328. It was a two-seater roadster with a straight-six engine and body made of aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. With classic, breathtaking looks and a fantastic power-to-weight ratio, the 2011 model was unbelievable to drive. It’s one of BMW’s best-looking concepts, and some auto enthusiasts would give a lung and a kidney to own one.
8. 1995 Z18 Concept 
The Z18 Concept might be one of the oddest from BMW, and it’s essentially an enhanced Z3 with four-wheel drive. The company put a V8 engine under the hood and gave it a plastic body; the interior could also be reconfigured. If the Z18 had been put on the production line, it might have been the most ridiculous vehicle from BMW. However, many loyal customers would have still bought one.
7. 1969 Spicup 
Based on the BMW 2000 CS, it’s hard to determine what BMW was aiming for with the Spicup, except may a Lamborghini fighter. Marcello Gandini, the man who designed the Lamborghini Countach and Miura, designed the Spicup. The car featured two retractable roof panels made of stainless steel and a 2.5-liter, I6 engine.
6. 1991 Nazca Concept 
Well-known Italian designer Fabrizio Giugiaro designed the Nazca with inspiration from Formula One cars. The body and frame were both made with carbon fiber. Under the hood was a mid-mounted 5.0-liter, V12 engine that produced 300 horsepower. This might not sound like much, but it was plenty for the 2,400-pound weight of the car. The Nazca also featured gullwing doors and offered 360-degree visibility. These specs are pretty amazing for a concept.
5. X Concept Coupe 
The X Concept Coupe was the second attempt by BMW to make an enhanced, off-roading coupe. It was built using the same platform as the X5 and had a 3.0-liter, diesel engine. The weird thing about this car was the rear hatch, for which the entire back end of the vehicle lifted up and backward like a hatch. The doors opened with the hatch as well, revealing the entire inside of the vehicle. What BMW intended with this design is unclear.
4. M1 Hommage Concept 
This concept was definitely a revision of the original M1, but it also features some elements of the i8. The M1 Hommage first debuted on the original’s 30th anniversary at the 2008 Concorso d’Eleganza. All enthusiasts wish that BMW had made the car because of its styling, which aspired to the future but honored the original M1.
3. BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia 
Taking its name from the popular Italian race, this concept car pays tribute to 1950s vehicles and the style of the racing cars in the Mille Miglia. With a carbon fiber body on the same chassis as the Z4 M Coupe, the Concept Coupe Mille Miglia had a 3.2-liter, I6 engine, which produced 340 horsepower and was also used in the E46 M3.
2. GINA Concept 
With inspiration from the Z8 Roadster, the GINA Concept is another odd design from BMW. Designer Chris Bangle chose to create a futuristic automotive design, making the body of the GINA with a wire shell that is made out of carbon fiber-reinforced metal and wrapping it in a skin-like texture that is flexible. His idea was to allow owners to change the shape of the body to fit their desires. This concept looked great, but its skin design was a little too funky.
1. 2009 BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics 
When BMW first displayed the Vision Efficient Dynamics, enthusiasts were mind-blown. The biggest shock about it was that it made it to the production stage like the i8. The VED is one of the closest concept vehicles to a real-life production vehicle. Despite its annoyingly long name, it’s the weirdest, coolest and best BMW concept car ever because BMW did what every carmaker wanted to do: Assemble a concept vehicle.
