BMW has made some fantastic looking cars over the years. I’ll be the first to argue that an exciting powertrain and compelling chassis are the two most important parts of any car. But how a vehicle looks matters – as most recently evidenced by the XM debut. With over 75 years of car design behind it, BMW has had some real hits – and here are some of the best.
A gem from the brain of auto design rock star Henrik Fisker (see: Aston Martin DB9), the Z8 bleeds good design from the minute you lay eyes on it. Its design is heavily influenced by the Z07 concept car, which debuted at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. That concept is in turn heavily influenced by the iconic 507 from late 1950s. Short overhangs, a mile-long hood, and sweetly curving front and rear fenders all promise performance that the powertrain can happily deliver on.
Designed by Joji Nagashima, the E39’s timeless design is best captured by the E39 M5. While visually a bit more exciting than a base example, it builds upon a foundation of great attention to aesthetics. More important is the lack of obvious over-styling – casual observers would be hard pressed to spot the differences between an E39 M5 and its lesser trims unless they knew where to look.
Based on a mix of E36 and E30 chassis components, the sheet metal of the Z3 is another Joji Nagashima design. While the roadster and coupe are technically the same, the coupe’s irreverent design makes it a winner. The term “shooting brake” gets thrown around a lot, but the Z3 – and Z3 M specifically – is a definitive study of the body style. The Z3 coupe gets a special nod because its almost cartoonish looks do a great job of masking the car’s beguiling performance.
The E24 6 Series practically defined the 80s for BMW. Dubbed “shark”, “shark nose”, and apparently “Bayern-Express”, it brought front and center BMW’s drive – and…
