New BMWs surprise with their appearance – especially the latest “sevens”. Fans of the brand are divided into two camps. Some sincerely like the huge “nostrils” of the radiator grille, small slots for the headlights and the overall futuristic body design. Others are from all of the above in a real shock – they fill the comments under the news about the announcements of new products with angry reviews. Obviously, BMW has relied on originality, which is unlikely to become commonplace in the foreseeable future. Previously, the company’s cars seemed nicer. Compare yourself.
BMW Isetta (1955)
Isetta is not quite a BMW development. However, in the post-war years, it was she who saved the company from inevitable bankruptcy. In the early 50s, an incredibly compact, very cute and extremely affordable car was invented by the guys from Iso SpA. At that time, the Italian brand even produced refrigerators and scooters – from the first, Isetta clearly received a stylized “entrance” door, from the second, the vehicle got a power plant. Under the leadership of BMW, a 12 horsepower engine got under the hood of the car. Engineers significantly redesigned the design, but the design was left almost unchanged. Except as cute, I can’t even call it anything else.
BMW 507 (1956)
In 1954, American importer Max Hoffman persuaded BMW to convert the BMW 501 or BMW 502 into a roadster for the US market. In this country it is customary to travel a lot and for long distances. That is why the first BMW 507 model was equipped with a 110-liter gas tank – a fantastic volume for such a small vehicle. However, for this I had to sacrifice the size of the trunk. Plus, due to the proximity to the passengers, they constantly smelled fuel and complained about it. As a result, the size of the tank was reduced by almost two, but the cutest external body design was left. I would love to ride such a “monster”.
💡 curiousthat among the owners of this car there were a lot of celebrities like the same Elvis Prestley. But this did not save the model from a total commercial collapse. The car turned out to be too expensive even for the USA, so BMW managed to sell only a little more than 250 copies. This failure of the company is still remembered today.
BMW 700 (1959)
Just look at this beauty! The sweetest sedan with a rear engine. If you close the BMW emblem on the hood, you might think that you have another creation of the Soviet automotive industry that did not go into series. The car was extremely successful in the mass market, but this did not stop her – especially the 700RS model – from reaching great heights in motorsport. At this point, it might seem that the most affordable BMW models were the cutest. However, after the end of the production of this vehicle in 1965, the company confidently left the budget segment and took up the premium sector with an emphasis on speed.
BMW 2002 (1962)
Another extremely attractive sedan with classic features, which was produced around the same time as the previous one. However, only the model in the basic body can be called cute. The sports version of the Turbo, produced in the early 70s, was equipped not only with a 170 horsepower turbocharged engine, but also with aggressive body kits, like modern emki. The standard did not use the most productive atmospheric power plant for 100 horses, which emphasized the fairly flexible nature of the vehicle. In this car, BMW’s signature design of the last couple of decades is already recognizable.
💡 Interestingthat this vehicle had a special version. We are talking about the 2002 ti Diana, which was timed to coincide with the wedding of racing driver Hubert Hahne and Diana Körner. The car was distinguished by many technical improvements, including natural leather trim, Italian aluminum wheels and twin headlights.
BMW M1 (1978)
The body design and organization of the BMW interior of recent years are considered outstanding and even reference. However, by the beginning of the 80s, the company’s engineers were clearly not very good with fresh ideas. There is no other way to explain the obvious resemblance of the 1978 BMW M1 to Lamborghini sports cars. Initially, the model was supposed to be a joint project of the two brands, but after the failure of the idea of cooperation with the Italians, the Germans did not dare to abandon their design. The car was conceived as aggressive, but turned out to be quite cute – especially with open headlights. By the way, this is the first mid-engined BMW (the second was a modern hybrid model with the i8 index).
BMW E30 M3 (1986)
Another confirmation of the fact that until quite recently BMW made quite nice models for itself. Even in the M3 version, with all the accompanying body kits designed to make the car more aggressive, the body of the E30 does not look intimidating. However, purely technically, the vehicle was more sports than civilian. The first models of this generation M3 were equipped with a power plant for 195 horsepower, later it was pumped up to 200. The limited version of the Sport Evolution, with less weight, could generally boast of an engine with 238 horses and a maximum speed of over 250 km / h.
💡 funnythat the car in the photo above was considered almost the standard of its time in terms of aerodynamics. To achieve this, the engineers, for example, changed the method of installing the windshield. It began to be glued directly into the body, and not installed in the rubber seal that was used in the standard E30.
BMW 8 Series E31 (1990)
For its time, this car was truly fantastic. What are the incredibly powerful V8 and V12 engines that were installed in it. As for the appearance, it clearly resembled the 1978 M1. However, this model clearly differed in the location of the engine – the engineers simply refused the mid-engine layout, and this clearly affected, among other things, the appearance of the car. But the cutest folding optics remained in place. It is a pity that today manufacturers do not use such solutions. Apparently, the high cost of the design, as well as its obvious unreliability, are to blame.
BMW Z8 (2000)
Another amazing BMW roadster that impresses not only purely technically, but also in terms of design. No wonder the car has become a part of classic popular culture. The 1999 film “And the World Is Not Enough” included him in it – there he was the vehicle of agent 007 James Bond. The aggressiveness of the model was clearly not enough, but in those years the company did not differ at all in a similar approach to design. Interestingly, the “heart” of such a cute car was a really powerful 400 horsepower V8 engine. Despite the front-engine body layout, the engineers managed to achieve a 50 to 50 weight distribution – which is why the model behaved extremely well on the road.
💡 Interestingthat Alpina’s modified BMW Z8 turned out to be much less sporty. It had less horsepower, and instead of a manual transmission, a purely automatic was used. The studio did everything to make the driving experience no less comfortable than its discreet appearance.
BMW 1M Coupe (2007)
BMW sports model from the M Performance line. Logically, she should have received the name M1, but this option was eventually abandoned so as not to create confusion with the supercar of the late 70s. The rated power of the model’s power plant was 335 horsepower, but it increased due to excess boost. The only transmission option was a six-speed manual. Given the extremely compact form factor, the car was quite “evil”. But this did not affect its appearance, which looked extremely cute, including because of the design of the headlights.
BMW i3 (2014)
Of course, this model simply could not fail to get into such material. One of the company’s first electric cars, which was actually taken off the market, has become a symbol of BMW’s futurism in recent years. It is impossible to treat i3 indifferently. A huge part of motorists do not accept the design of the vehicle and are surprised at the choice of its owners. However, the model has loyal fans who take care of the car, drive it for more than a year and do not even think about replacing it. Such a vehicle should be treated with a share of healthy irony. This is far from the monster that BMW is famous for lately, but the complete opposite. Small urban electric car. And very cute, too.
💡 Few knowthat the BMW i3 may not only be fully electric. The manufacturer also produced models with an increased power reserve – they were equipped with an internal combustion engine, which provided additional kilometers without recharging.
PS Not so long ago I managed to visit the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany. Here are some photos from it to create atmosphere:
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
