BMW Z9 was designed by Chris Bangle, ex-Chief Designer of BMW Group, and represented an important turning point in the subsequent evolution of BMW’s design language. Among the features were an aluminum space frame and a V8 turbodiesel unit.
The Z9 Gran Turismo Concept car features the long hood and short rear deck that have become hallmarks of BMW sport coupe design. The “face” of the Z9 incorporated trademark BMW design elements, such as the dual round headlights flanking the central kidney grille.
The Z9 featured a carbon fiber skin over an aluminum space frame offering both high rigidity and light weight.
wheels by 20-inch front and 21 inch rear, provided a hint of the performance capability of the Z9. Front and rear turn signals featured neon light technology, while rear lights incorporated light-emitting diodes (LED).
The Z9 GT also featured unique gull wing doors that also opened like a conventional hinged door, allowing the driver or front passenger to access the coupe in the normal fashion.
Much of the styling found on the current E63 BMW 6 Series is derived from the Z9.
This single module allows the user to select and operate several hundred functions within the automobile. Used in conjunction with a monitor and four large buttons arranged in a square around the central rotary/push button, all drive, comfort, communication and audio functions can be easily activated.
The rotary/push button falls readily to hand for the driver and front seat passenger and allows the driver to activate functions without the need to look at them while driving.
A large display monitor in the center of the dashboard displays all the information the driver requires in a simple graphic display, apart from the speedometer and tachometer which are conventional analog instruments.