It was designed by BMW in the middle of the 1990s.
Behind the scenes, there is a lot of work that goes on at an automaker that the general public never sees. Design and styling elements are created years in advance of their production. They are then refined and perfected over time to become the final product. The BMW Group Classic YouTube channel has released a new video that shows us behind the curtain. It features the secret BMW ZBF 7er design project, which was created in the late 1990s. It does look familiar, however.
The car’s construction is one of its most notable aspects. BMW hand-built the concept using an old method for coachbuilding, including hand-beaten sheet metal to make the body. Joji Nagashima, BMW Design Expert, designed the car. He also created the tire treads which were a first for him. The tires were then hand-cut. Although the final product is a familiar, but awkward sedan, it was not designed to be a standalone model. The future design direction of the company’s core products was represented by the BMW ZBF 7e.
The mashup was a bold mover long before BMW allowed the huge kidney grille to be unleashed on the public. Designers were able to think outside of the box and increase the size of the grille thanks to the concept. Nagashima explained many of the car’s styling elements, including the chrome garnish that runs from the fender to the door. This was added to enhance the otherwise slab-sided design. The car featured an early version of BMW’s iDrive rotary control that was used on the E65 7Serie in 2001.
Many of the styling elements that would debut on the E65 were shown in the concept. They eventually spread to the rest of BMW’s lineup. Many of these ideas were first realized half a century before the E65 was released to the public. This video serves as a reminder of the fact that car design can take years and ideas need to mature into something mainstream. However, many were not ready for the huge grille on the 4 Series after 25 years.