A coupé called the BMW Z5
08/10/2018
It was January 1996 when the magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" reported on an upcoming hot BMW coupé called the Z5. It was a modification of the well-known Z3 Roadster, which was produced in the USA.
The simulation images matched the later Z3 Coupé, built from September 1998, quite closely, although they showed the "sneaker" to be a little browner than it later appeared. This was because the designers succeeded in making the rear of the production model look particularly smart!
What's more, back then they were still talking about a 2+2 configuration and a production start in 1997, which was just as wrong as the assumption that the four-cylinder engines would also be installed. And the car wasn't called the Z5 either, despite the focus on six-cylinder engines with 2.8 to 3.2 liter displacement. But by and large, the AMS editors had already described it quite accurately.
According to AMS, the plan at the time was to build over 10,000 units per year, but over three years less than 18,000 units actually left the factory.
Why are we telling you all this? We are currently digitizing the 1996 issue of Auto Motor und Sport, which will soon be integrated into the magazine archive . And we are preparing a report on the 20th anniversary of the Z3 Coupé.
