Fired up by that lovely new 7-Series, here are some of Munich’s best flights of fancy
You see, though BMW was very good at making aircraft engines during WW1 and WW2, and produced some iconic cars including the stunning 507, by the end of the 1950s it was facing financial ruin, teetering on the brink of being sold.
Were it not for the success of the humble little BMW 700 - and its Isetta predecessor - we might inhabit a world bereft of an M5, an M3 or even a 3.0-litre CSL. And that would be a dark, dark world.
So we must doff our caps to the tiny rear-engined, rear-drive BMW, for it paved the way for the company's burgeoning success and allowed it financial independence; the freedom to grow, build, experiment.
Which, in a roundabout way, is the root of the design flourishes we are presenting here. It's a line-up of BMW's finest concept cars, inspired by the rather elegant and luxurious BMW Vision Future Luxury design concept unveiled in Beijing.
1969: BMW Spicup
Unveiled at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, this was the brainchild of ill-fated design house Bertone. Based on a modified 2000 CS, the Spicup features two retractable stainless steel roof panels that stow away into the roll bar.
Up front though, it's pure Alfa Montreal and Lamborghini Espada (Marcello Gandini was the man responsible), and underneath sits a 2.5-litre BMW straight-six. The concept car shown at Geneva even came up for sale a few years back, too.
1991: BMW Nazca concept
This is much, much more like it. The BMW Nazca M12 concept was the design debut of a 26-year old named Fabrizio Giugiaro, who took his inspiration from Formula One and Group C racers. A fine palette to paint from, if you ask us.
The frame and body were carbon fibre, along with light alloy components throughout to keep the kerbweight at a very, very lithe 1100kg. The Nazca's bonnet and boot were made in one piece, and it featured a wraparound windscreen and 360-degree visibility.
Oh, it also featured a 300bhp, 5.0-litre V12 lifted from the 850i, here mounted in the middle and matched to a five-speed manual, powering the rear wheels. Also has gullwing doors, and is therefore excellent.
OK, so this one's a bit of a stretch, because it was ‘built' (read: designed) for Gran Turismo 6. And that's about all we know.
So that's it for our list - a few honourable mentions (if you have the time to Google them) must also go to the BMW Hurricane concept of 1964, the BMW 528/502 concept, and the sole M8 that lurks around BMW's HQ.
This is much, much more like it. The BMW Nazca M12 concept was the design debut of a 26-year old named Fabrizio Giugiaro, who took his inspiration from Formula One and Group C racers. A fine palette to paint from, if you ask us.
The frame and body were carbon fibre, along with light alloy components throughout to keep the kerbweight at a very, very lithe 1100kg. The Nazca's bonnet and boot were made in one piece, and it featured a wraparound windscreen and 360-degree visibility.
Oh, it also featured a 300bhp, 5.0-litre V12 lifted from the 850i, here mounted in the middle and matched to a five-speed manual, powering the rear wheels. Also has gullwing doors, and is therefore excellent.
2008: BMW GINA concept
The simple stuff first. This concept sits on the Z8 roadster platform. And, there ends the simple stuff.
The skin... well, it's a flexible texture that stretches over a metal wire structure reinforced with carbon fibre. The idea was to allow the driver to ‘change' the shape of the car on the move.
At the time, designer Chris Bangle reckoned this was the future of car design, allowing customers to create their cars around their own requirements. A quick look at the local Halfords car park suggests Mr Bangle's predictions may have been a little off the mark.
Perhaps, Top Gear suspects, because of the potential damage caused by scissor-wielding hooligans.
The simple stuff first. This concept sits on the Z8 roadster platform. And, there ends the simple stuff.
The skin... well, it's a flexible texture that stretches over a metal wire structure reinforced with carbon fibre. The idea was to allow the driver to ‘change' the shape of the car on the move.
At the time, designer Chris Bangle reckoned this was the future of car design, allowing customers to create their cars around their own requirements. A quick look at the local Halfords car park suggests Mr Bangle's predictions may have been a little off the mark.
Perhaps, Top Gear suspects, because of the potential damage caused by scissor-wielding hooligans.
OK, so this one's a bit of a stretch, because it was ‘built' (read: designed) for Gran Turismo 6. And that's about all we know.
So that's it for our list - a few honourable mentions (if you have the time to Google them) must also go to the BMW Hurricane concept of 1964, the BMW 528/502 concept, and the sole M8 that lurks around BMW's HQ.
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