And a few other top secret projects.
Earlier this month, BMW treated us to a new multi-part video series showing off some of its coolest prototype vehicles. The first episode covered the M5 CSL and V8 M3 CSL concepts while the second installment focused on the brand-new 2023 BMW M4 CSL and the never-before-shown M2 CSL Prototype. Though the third part in the series doesn’t reveal any secret concepts that haven’t been displayed before, but it does cover some amazing projects that are now on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany.
Our favorite of the three, and easily the most outrageous is the Z3 V12 prototype. You may notice the bright orange paint, but that’s far from the most bonkers element here. Under the hood, the Z3 M Roadster’s 321 horsepower inline-six is gone in favor of a 375 hp V12 from the 850 CSi. BMW calls the car “a complete overkill,” built just to see if it could squeeze a V12 into a Z3.
Another interesting vehicle feature in the video is the E34 M5 Convertible. In a modern world where BMW has built two M5-based convertible models, the M6 and M8, this concept may not seem so radical, but it was rare back then. BMW came close to putting this car into production, but backed out at the last second because it may have taken away from 3 Series Convertible sales.
The E34 M5 was the last hand-built M car, with a 266 hp inline-six sourced from the M1 supercar. Just like the sedan, the convertible sends its power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. This was also one of the first convertibles to ever feature a lever in the trunk that could be lifted while the top was up to give more storage space.
The final car featured in the video is the original M8 Prototype. In a world where the BMW M8 is offered in three different body styles (coupe, convertible, and Gran Coupe), it seems hard to remember that the 8 Series didn’t always have an M variant from the factory. Unlike the modern M8, this one had a Le Mans-sourced V12 producing 640 hp. That’s more than the 2023 model’s twin-turbo V8. Sadly, this version of the M8 never reached production.
Though they aren’t detailed much in this episode, we spotted a few other cool prototypes in the background, including the E30 M3 Pickup, X5 Le Mans V12, and E46 M3 Touring. If you’re in Munich, definitely stop by the BMW Museum to check them out.
