Z1

[garz747]

Just watched an old episode of "wheeler dealers" that I had recorded the other nite and had never seen. Wow!- the Z1 was way ahead of its time! So simple... but neat features like drop down doors, simple manual folding top,nice legible dash and traditional three spoke steering wheel, etc. All body panels were thermoplastic and easily replaced if need be, 2.5 liter inline 6 and manual trans of course. I dont think I ever saw one on the road in Toronto or anywhere around here either. Cool.

[StickMon]

I have to try and find that episode. I LOVE that show.

I sooo want an Iseta after watching the episode on that.

[SDCoupe]

Originally Posted by garz747

Just watched an old episode of "wheeler dealers" that I had recorded the other nite and had never seen. Wow!- the Z1 was way ahead of its time! So simple... but neat features like drop down doors, simple manual folding top,nice legible dash and traditional three spoke steering wheel, etc. All body panels were thermoplastic and easily replaced if need be, 2.5 liter inline 6 and manual trans of course. I dont think I ever saw one on the road in Toronto or anywhere around here either. Cool.

I saw that episode. Loved that show!

[Efthreeoh]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I have a slightly different position about the Z1. The Z1 basically used E30 hardware in the drivetrain and front suspension and wiring harness. It used a space-frame design with thermoplastic body panels, which BMW touted at the time as its new innovative direction in automotive body construction - i.e. "BMW Technik GmbH". The drop-down doors were indeed innovative, and it was a roadster.

Yet GM had designed and produced the Pontiac Fiero, using mass production 6 years prior to BMW's intro of the Z1, with the original design concept of the mass produced space-frame initiated by GM 1977. BMW built a total of 8,000 Z1 cars, GM built nearly 370,000 Fieros. The Fiero thermo-plastic body-on-spaceframe design was used for the Pontiac Transport and was the original automotive chassis architecture of the Saturn Corporation.

The Z1 was also touted for being innovative for using a Styrofoam-core fiber-resin reinforced floor pan as the Z1 spaceframe chassis. That innovative design is basically the same construction as a surfboard. With the limited production run of the Z1, it made total sense to use such a construction method as building sheet-metal forming production tooling for a floorpan could not have been economically viable.

Surely one can research the Fiero and find the negatives of it: early engine fire issues of the Iron Duke (due to low oil levels in the sump and bearing oil starvation), the original front end suspension from the Chevy Chevette and the original rear suspension/engine subframe from the front-end of the Chevy Citation, both redesigned and vastly improved for the 1986 model year. But all in all, the Fiero's space-frame architecture was truly an innovative automotive design direction by a major producer and spawned millions of mass production space-frame models sold between the Pontiac and Saturn car companies.

Read BMW's literature of the time (late 1980s) BMW Technik was supposed to turn BMW into a major user of the space-frame architecture, with the Z1 being the initiation of that path. BMW produced 8,000 specially-built concept cars.

Just a bit of interesting automotive history. Well, interesting to me at least.

[KevinC]

Sad thing about the Fiero was they fixed all its major shortcomings for what turned out to be its final year of production ('88 I believe?).

Today I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Z1's still on the road than those old plastic turds.

[StickMon]

Once they fixed all its major shortcomings, the Fiero wasn't nearly as good as the MR2.

Edit: IMHO

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Once they fixed all its major shortcomings, the Fiero wasn't nearly as good as the MR2.

Edit: IMHO

Totally agree. Even with the flaws fixed, it was still an '80s GM product. The MR2 was a Toyota - bulletproof. Biggest problem with the MR2 back in the day? They were a MAJOR theft target.

[garz747]

I wasnt inferring that the Z1 was a "sportscar". I just thought it had some novel ideas incorporated into its design. Yes it was based on the E30 drivetrain. Supposedly they made over 8000 of them!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by KevinC

Sad thing about the Fiero was they fixed all its major shortcomings for what turned out to be its final year of production ('88 I believe?).

Today I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Z1's still on the road than those old plastic turds.

I'd bet there are more Fieros on the road than Z1s just based on seer production numbers, but the Fiero was meant to be and sold as a mass-produced commuter car from a mainstream manufacturer, whereas the Z1 was a specialty-built car based on customer orders, expensive, and therefore kept as prized possessions.

There is a Fiero club with a decent following, and parts support etc.