BMW zagato coupé
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the 'BMW zagato coupé' collaborative concept car
at the 2012 concorso d'eleganza villa d'este, BMW cars and zagato coachbuilders debuted their 'BMW zagato coupé',
combining iconic zagato features like the double bubble roof and truncated rear proportions with the BMW's signature
roadster flanks, styled front face, and interior. organized by BMW, the prestigious competition along the shores of lake como,
italy, awards elegance in classic and vintage cars, as well as offering a showcase for new vehicles.
designed as a one-off concept but driveable and street legal, the 'BMW zagato coupé' features the glass split rear deck of the 'zagato',
with a streamlined, criss-crossed form created by the intersection of the side and rear windows. the tinted rear window can be opened,
providing access to the luggage compartment. the grille mesh on the front of the car is a pattern of interlocked 'Z's, in which chrome
pieces seem to float on a sea of darker-toned letters, matched by polished 'Z' details along the side of the car. double air intakes
are integratedinto the bonnet, and the car features dual exhaust tips at its rear. twin circular headlights and the kidney-shaped grille
highlight BMW's DNA in the car defined as a 'BMW seen through the eyes of zagato'.
19-inch light-alloy wheels feature a five-spoke design suggestive of a propeller, hinting at origins of both BMW and zagato
in the studies of aerodynamic rear ends for vehicles. the 'BMW zagato coupé' is likewise designed for aerodynamic efficiency,
without need for rear wings.
its chassis handcrafted and molded of aluminum sheet metal, the car features the specially-toned 'rosso vivace' paintwork
which ranges from black to bright red depending on the way the light hits it, thanks to a multilayered paint job: black
followed by shimmery metallic silver, followed by six thin coats of road and two layers of clear sealant.
concept, making-of, and demo of the 'zagato coupé
front view
detail on mesh grille, composed of interlocking 'Z' shapes of dark and bright silver
the 3/4 rear view highlights the double bubble form iconic of zagato
3/4 top view
rear view
seen from above, the car's top and side sculpting is particularly evident.
detail on the side sculpting
the interior takes the classic style of BMW, reconceptualizing it with 'Z' details and custom colours and finishes
detail on 5-spoke wheel, referencing the aerodynamics research common to the origins of both BMW and zagato
concept sketches
design discussion
the car during manufacture
Going to write my comment talking like they do in the video:
\”There is… Something… About zagato… That makes me go… Hum… *inspired black and white look*, what the… hell… were they thinking… *takes a zip of inspirational coffee at the vintage coffee shop* they always… get the proportions wrong… It´s like zagato… likes to get it wrong… *puts his hands toghether to look designer and corrects his designer hat to look designer cool to the camera*, I think zagato is just… How do you say…? A one note design firm… They use the same design cues… Over and over *makes inspired designer eyes* you know…?
I like the colour tho… *camera fades out to car on the background*\”.
Cool music gets louder and video fades out to black.
Ok it will sell, any BMW sells. But i think they lost their way, they havent made a decent model in decades and this one is the proof.
what ar ethe things that are typically Zagato? spontaneity..
Well that\’s exactly what I\’m missing here!
beautifull Z4 indeed with an incredible color, but not much more than Z4 with added details.
It’s a huge improvement on the existing Z4 d’-)
Fantastica!!!!!!!!!!!! Solo Zagato e la BMW posso creare queste opere d\’arte. Gioia per gli occhi, battiti al cuore ed emozioni alla vita. Grazie
Einfach super!