The Z1 is one of the most fascinating cars to ever carry the BMW roundel. With removable body panels and vertically sliding doors, it’s anything but a typical Bimmer. It was the first car developed by the skunkworks team at BMW Technik and one of the rarest, with only 8,000 units ever made.
It was also the company’s first model with a multi-link rear suspension and had an almost ideal weight distribution of 49/51 front to rear. This car, however, is certainly more nose-heavy. Gone is the original inline-six M20 from the 3 Series E30 325i, replaced by a much bigger heart with four extra cylinders. Under the hood sits a V10 crate engine with a custom carbon-fiber cover styled to resemble the S85.
That said, we’re not entirely sure it’s actually the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter from the M5 E60. We’re told it’s a “brand-new” crate engine, but we’ll have to ask Munich whether BMW Group Classic is still selling the S85. While full details aren’t available yet, we do know the V10 is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox from an M6.
The E63/E64 did offer a three-pedal setup, but only in America, and just 701 factory cars were ever sold with a manual. We’re also noticing an Eventuri carbon-fiber air intake in the overstuffed engine bay, along with a quad-exhaust setup.
Wearing a Dubai license plate, this intriguing Z1 features a removable hardtop that BMW never offered. Around 500 Wiesmann hardtops were built back in the day, but it’s unclear whether this is one of them. And no, this isn’t the ultra-rare ALPINA version. The almost mythical Roadster Limited Edition was capped at 66 units, and this wild build isn’t based on the RLE.
It does have period-correct body stripes and ALPINA-styled Maxilite wheels. That lovely interior looks even more upscale than the Z1 RLE’s. The telltale sign it’s not a real ALPINA is the steering wheel, which lacks the individually numbered center cap. The Bang & Olufsen speakers rising from the dashboard are a nice touch, but the car still doesn’t have air conditioning. During the Z1’s production run from 1989 to 1991, all examples left the factory without an AC option.
We’ll do our best to learn more about this fascinating Z1. It appears to have only 6,665 kilometers (4,141 miles) on the clock and seems to be in immaculate condition. Judging by the green emissions sticker in the lower corner of the windshield, it appears to be a German import.
If you know more about this V10-powered Z1, please reach out to us in the comments below.
