Concept BMW Z9 Concept

[Mark]

This is the 1999 BMW Z9 Gran Turismo Concept. It was first introduced at the Frankfurt Motorshow in September of that year.

The dramatically styled coupe was designed to showcase BMW's cutting edge technology and design. It featured gullwing doors with conventional doors that were designed into each 'wing'.

The lines of the Z9's exterior design were clean, simple, yet dramatic,with a long, sleek bonnet and short, muscular tail.
This is the car that led to the design of the new 6 Series.

The other innovation presented in this car was the iDrive that we all know nowadays. "Once inside, the lines of the cabin are clean and simple and the ambience extremely light and airy. Most noticeable is the lack of switchgear. All the secondary controls are operated by a single rotary/push unit on the centre console and four buttons to select "audio", "communications", "comfort" and "drive". A large screen in the centre of the dashboard displays all the information the driver requires in a simple graphic display, apart from the speedometer and rev counter which are conventional analogue instruments directly in front of the driver.
The only other driver controls in the cabin are a starter button on the dashboard, and gear selection and indicator stalks on the steering column."

Enjoy the pictures.

 

[Centurion]

The Z9 is the calm before the storm and did what most people didn't understand, which was to prepare us for Bangle. The Z9 is a whole design study of BMWs current desing philosofy. Everything is there the flame surcafing, idrive and interior layout. It probably one of BMWs most important concept cars ever.

 

[klier]

The Z9 is the calm before the storm and did what most people didn't understand, which was to prepare us for Bangle. The Z9 is a whole design study of BMWs current desing philosofy. Everything is there the flame surcafing, idrive and interior layout. It probably one of BMWs most important concept cars ever.

True, but most of all it's the design of the current gen 6er
Plus, I just noticed where Mercedes got this from:

 

[Osnabrueck]

1999? That's amazing.

I remember seeing this concept back then and thinking that it was the most hideous thing I've ever laid eyes on. Now it appears like an artifact from the future, with lines and porportions we could only wish were tit for tat with the 6er. Of course, this is a bigger, lower, wider and more outrageous car than the 6er, but you can't deny how cool the rear looks on this thing (if you're amongs those who've taken a shining to the Bangle boot).

Thanks for the retrospect NSL.

 

[Deutsch]

1999? That's amazing.

I remember seeing this concept back then and thinking that it was the most hideous thing I've ever laid eyes on. Now it appears like an artifact from the future, with lines and porportions we could only wish were tit for tat with the 6er. Of course, this is a bigger, lower, wider and more outrageous car than the 6er, but you can't deny how cool the rear looks on this thing (if you're amongs those who've taken a shining to the Bangle boot).

Thanks for the retrospect NSL.

I agree w/ pretty much every point you made there Osna. It's very disapointing that BMW couldn't get the E63 closer to the original concept. Perhaps the next 6er will deliver where the current one doesn't; cohesive exterior design.

 

[Brookside]

This is just gorgeous- a brutally simple design- it's as if Bangle's design philosophy was boiled down to its essence- sort of Bauhaus meets flame surface.
Thanks for giving us something beautiful to look at NSL.

 

[siko]

For me, what I find weird is that I love BMW's design philosophy and all the current models... yet, I truly hate this concept?! Weird!?

 

[Deutsch]

For me, what I find weird is that I love BMW's design philosophy and all the current models... yet, I truly hate this concept?! Weird!?

different strokes for different folks... doesn't get any more weird than that.

 

[dOmInIX]

This was the inspiration for the 6 Series...I always loved this design!

 

[wltsm]

It weirds how times have changed, I remember when I first saw this concept and was thinking this looks very radical, BMW will never make that!

Now though it looks very similar to the 6er, and the interior is similar to the 7er. BMW could easily put it into production and no one would think anything, shows how Bangle has changed design!

 

[Beemer B773ER]

I Love this car.. even the drop-top version of it.. just STUNNING..!!

I've studied this car a lot in pictures... but 2 things which I just noticed now.
First..small thing, but still something interesting. BMW already had that 'shark fin' on the rear of the rear on the Z9... wow.. i thought it was something only a few years old.

Secondly... the DOORS..... is this the only car which has both conventional-opening doors and gull-wing doors ?? ..and how would that work anyway.... have a look at the pics of the car with the doors open!

Thanks NSL... Love this car..!!

..and BMW_Dude, I couldnt agree more about what you said with BMW putting it into production now and it fitting in perfectly. I actually hope they do make a production version of this. Since it inspired the front of the 6er.. maybe they could update its face with the face of the BMW H2R Concept. Would look awesome..!!

 

[Matt]

Its bangle uncensored! It is a very interesting design. I really like the lines and the exhaust design along with the huge fenders. Im not a big fan of the gigantic bonnet and the head lights that seemed to have been slightly modified for the 6er (never liked those either). However the tail lights are very sexy and radical....

Very cool NSL thx!

 

[Matt]

One more interesting thing. The car is B-Piller less. This obviously shows that BMW toyed with the idea of not having B pillers on the 6 but then out of engineering/cost they put them on for the production model.

 

[EnI]

One more interesting thing. The car is B-Piller less. This obviously shows that BMW toyed with the idea of not having B pillers on the 6 but then out of engineering/cost they put them on for the production model.

Actually not. All "Bangleized" BMW design studies have come without B-pillar: Z9 Coupe, X-Coupe, xActivity, and CS1 of course - being a cabrio.

Showing design studies without B-pillar is not an indication of thinking to produce B-pillarless car.

B-pillar is too important for BMW to be missed out: it's a core element for structural rigidity & stiffness of a car - something that enables perfect handling and ride of BMW cars.

 

[Michael]

This car is just stunning.

How many of these were made? What did BMW doe with them?

Do they hide them?

Are they fully functional cars(do the windows really go down and up, does the idrive really work?

How is the craftsmanship on this cars since they build a limited amount?

These things are beautiful and mysterious at the sametime because we may never see it in person ever again.

I like how the car is just so big.

 

[klier]

I've seen the Z9 cabrio up close and I sat in the Z9 coupe

It made me buy the 6er

 

[GTA45E]

Plus, I just noticed where Mercedes got this from:

Hmmm, I don`t see it. Mercedes uses a wrist pad where the numeral keys are hidden.

 

[bmer]

For me, what I find weird is that I love BMW's design philosophy and all the current models... yet, I truly hate this concept?! Weird!?

I'm with you siko. I just can't stand the looks of this concept. I love the 6er but some design details remind me of the ugly Z9.

 

[cawimmer430]

Those front lights are too weird-looking IMO. Very un-BMWish...

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Just about that thing which klier has drawn attention to, it's clearly not a numerical pad like the S-class wrist pad... but I'm just wondering what that pad in the Z9 is for?
I see left and right arrows, up arrows, down arrows and another single down arrow... so what do you guys think that is ? .. Maybe a like the arrow keys on a keyboard so that I-Drive wouldn't be difficult to use ?
And even above the I-Drive like controller, there are more arrow buttons.... so yeh, what do you guys think they were for ?

-

Hmmm, I don`t see it. Mercedes uses a wrist pad where the numeral keys are hidden.

It amazes me how much MB fans do this. Instead of trying to grasp the overall concept of an keypad like feature near the knob-controller, they knit-pick and argue that it's a 'wrist-pad' as apposed to a simple open controller. All this is just getting immature now...but at the same time it's humourous reading MB fans trying to say how the S-class interior is so different to the 7er's.