1995 BMW Z18 - AllCarIndex

BMW Z18: The first off-road roadster.

Innovative vehicle concepts create new challenges. These are particularly important for the specialists at BMW Technik GmbH because they inspire unconventional technical solutions. The result of making breakthroughs of this nature is encapsulated in the BMW Z18 concept vehicle. In 1995, this unique car went down in history as the first off-road roadster to be developed by BMW. This was a period when the desire for versatile mobility under the open skies and the yearning to explore off-road terrain had triggered a boom in the segment of Enduro motorcycles. BMW Technik GmbH took the initiative and transferred this expression of sheer driving pleasure to an automobile concept. The BMW Z18 crossed category boundaries by combining the exhilarating feeling of a convertible with the robustness and versatility of an off-road vehicle.

An eight-cylinder engine packing 260 kW/355 hp powered the roadworthy prototype, while a four-wheel drive designed with technical complexity provided the necessary off-road capability. The plastic body was mounted on a frame structure made from steel extrusions and was not dissimilar to a boat – the BMW Z18 was able to drive effortlessly through flat stretches of water. The variable interior concept – configurations as two-seater, four-seater and pick-up were engineered into the design – made the unusual concept vehicle a true multi-tasker from several points of view.

source: BMW