Here's The Most Comprehensive Look At The BMW Z1's Weird Doors You'll Ever See

Doug DeMuro takes a closer look at the BMW Z1, and some of the quirky design features that emerged as a result of its unusual door arrangement

Matt Robinson

03 Nov 2017

I’m sure most of us have seen the BMW Z1’s weird ‘disappearing’ doors in action, but it’s fascinating to see the way they work in greater detail. Not to mention how they affected the rest of the car’s design.

That’s what we get from Doug DeMuro’s Z1 quirk-finding mission, along with a closer look at other odd details like the inconveniently-placed glovebox, and the removable body panels.

Is this the weirdest BMW ever?

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

If you were to race a BMW Z1, would you open the doors for low speed corners and close the doors for high speed corners? The open doors would reduce the center of gravity for reduced roll and therefore increased cornering speeds. The closed doors would reduce drag for faster acceleration.