BMW Z18

The BMW Z18 is a concept car developed by BMW Technik GmbH, the former think tank of BMW, and unveiled in 1995. It combined elements of the BMW Z3 with those of an off-road vehicle, creating what BMW described as the first off-road roadster. BMW Technik GmbH, founded by BMW in 1985, was an independent think tank created to develop innovative vehicle concepts with radical interior and exterior design; its projects included the BMW E1, an early hybrid electric car. Ulrich Bez, the former chief executive of Aston Martin, was its first head, and the Z18 was developed under his leadership. Although the Z18 was first developed in 1990, it was not unveiled until 1995. The car carried 1990s BMW styling cues, including the signature kidney grille, and was based on the Z3, and the Technik division has since been reintegrated into BMW's research and development department.