The Z3 wasn’t universally adored, but the design studies that preceded it were extremely ambitious and kind of funky
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One of the biggest perks of working in the design department for a major automaker is undoubtedly the unfettered access to its archives. Fortunately, BMW‘s head of design, Domagoj Dukec, is sharing some of that access with us.
In just the latest example of his newfound habit, the polarizing designer shared sketches and a clay study of what would eventually become the BMW Z3 to his Instagram page. Penned by Joji Nagashima, it’s remarkable how different the studies are from the production version of the roadster, while still embodying its essence.
As you might expect, the post shows much more futuristic and ambitious designs than the one that would come to be put into production. Dates on the sketches range from 1991 to 1992, but the final design would be locked in just a year later.
Read: BMW M’s Secret Garage Includes M5 Convertible, V12-Powered Z3, And M8
Unsurprisingly, the sketch with the earliest date is the most different to the Z3. The red vehicle not only has plastic cladding along the lower portion of the body, but along the upper portion of it, too, giving it a distinctively ’90s beach vibe. Later sketches would exaggerate the wheel arches, and smooth out the rest of the body.
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By the time the clay mockup is ready, the body has been smoothed out completely, and the front actually looks a lot like the one that would eventually be adopted by the Z3. It’s fascinating to see how one designer working over the course of just a few years can riff so extensively on the design of a single model.
“This early design study of the very first BMW Z3 by Joji Nagashima embodied a unique roadster experience that remained true to our philosophy of delivering pure driving pleasure while presenting an entirely new execution,” said Dukec. “With design, we try consistently to reimagine the core values of BMW to keep them relevant for the future.”
Although I’m not sure if the design studies are better than the one that would eventually be chosen for the Z3, it is sad to see some of the details that were lost along the way. These include the windshield-mounted mirrors and the floating grille and headlights from the sketches of the red car.
It’s interested to see the renewed interest in the Z3 (which will soon be turning 30), since the automaker recently showed off a “clown shoe” version of the Z4 that was clearly inspired by its ’90s ancestor. Although it wasn’t always universally adored, it’s hard to be too harsh to any simple, small, classic sports car in these times of heavy, complicated, crossovers.
