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BMW's next effort came from BMW's American importer, Max Hoffman. To give the marque a more saleable image in the States than the firm's baroque 501 and 502 sedans, Uncle Max pushed hard for the idea of a V8 sports car based on 502 components - the 507. He even provided a designer, Count Albrecht Goertz, as part of the deal.
In 1965, BMW took over the Goggomobil-making Hans Glas company. Glas had developed a family of single cam fours and wrapped them in sexy, Frua-penned coupe and convertible bodies. BMW shut down production but revised the Glas 1700 GT coupe with a 1600ti engine and a new rear suspension. BMW's 1600GT didn't have the required incendiary effect and was sadly dropped in 1968.
In 1986 BMW's new Technik division produced the Z1 roadster. Powered by BMW's 2.5 litre six and using a steel spaceframe under plastic body panels, it also featured powered doors which dropped down into the sills. High weight limited performance and an 85,000DM price tag kept sales figures down, but it was a great car to be seen in. The Z1 was very close in spirit to the four-cylinder Z3.
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The transcription of Not So Fast, 007, an article that appeared in the January 1996 issue of Wheels, Australia's premier automotive magazine, was specifically authorized for upload to this site by the Editor, Angus MacKenzie, and the article's author, Peter Robinson. A copy of the file was obtained for release here from the transcriber to Miataville, section 15 of CompuServe's Automobile Forum. Authorization for reproduction in other locations, electronic or otherwise, must not be assumed and must be independently sought, if desired, in writing from Wheels.