With its sleek aluminum chassis, high acceleration, neon exterior lights, and its futuristic, yet retro-inspired body, the BMW Z8 roadster has become one of the brand’s most valuable legacy cars. The Z8 supercar may soon be followed by an even more luxurious Z9.
Italian design firm Lazzarini created the Z9 concept. The designer, Pierpaolo Lazzarini is also the brains behind the 50s-inspired “hover coupe” flying car that has generated recent internet buzz.
The V9 model has a similar body to the Z8- a long, exaggerated hood and ultra-low windshield. The V9 also has the traditional BMW wheels with logoed hubs, but the similarities end there.
Lazzarini’s design contains large exterior air vents on the front, top and sides of the car. The designer explained that he created side vents so that an extra electrical engine can fit in between the car’s rear wheels. The model also features internal sideview mirrors for discrete and useful viewing. Additionally, the car will fit the signature, high-performing V8 supercharge engine.
Though Lazzarini’s not a name we often associate with BMW design, perhaps it will be in the future. The signature Z8 design was created by Henrik Fisker, the Danish innovator who also designed the sleek Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Force 1 V10. Lazzarini echoes Fisker’s classic, yet modern aesthetic in the Z9.
This is actually the second time a Z9 concept car was created. In 1999, former BMW designer
Chris Bangle debuted a Z9 Gran Turismo concept car at the Frankfurt Motorshow. It featured a rounder windshield, a shorter hood, and unique wing doors that open upwards. Though the model was never produced, some of its design elements made their way onto the BMW 740d and the E63 6 Series.
It will definitely be interesting to see if the Z9 actually makes it to production this time. It’s also bound to be even pricier than the Z8, which retails for about $250,000.