The Z Series brings together BMW’s most distinctive two-seat sports cars, combining open-top driving pleasure, sporting design and a clearly driver-focused character. The origins of this model line go back to the second half of the 1980s, when BMW Technik GmbH developed the Z1 — the car that became the starting point of the entire Z Series. BMW Group Classic describes the Z1 as the founder of the Z Series and a small-series model of which 8,000 examples were produced. It was with this car that BMW returned to the world of two-seat roadsters after a long absence.
Over the years, the Z Series has represented the lighter, more emotional and more playful side of BMW sports cars. The Z3 brought this idea to a wider audience and became BMW’s first modern mass-produced roadster, the Z8 added an exclusive flagship with clear references to BMW’s historic roadsters, and the Z4 carried the same concept forward as an even more mature and more technologically developed sports car. In some generations, coupé versions and M models were also added, underlining even more strongly the sporting nature of the Z cars.
This page presents different Z Series models from the Z1 to the Z8, including sporting M versions such as the Z3 M and Z4 M. Together, these cars reflect BMW’s development in the world of smaller roadsters and coupés, where design, technical individuality and pure driving enjoyment all play an important role. Taken together, they form one of the most emotional and distinctive branches in BMW history.
Click on the model image or name to open the gallery and description
