Control of the project was turned over to Klaus Faust when Bez left BMW in October 1988.

Both the window and door are driven by electric motors through toothed rubber belts and may be moved manually in an emergency.

[8] The bonnet, boot, and roof cover are GRP components made by Seger + Hoffman AG.

The car is painted in a special flexible lacquer finish developed jointly by AKZO Coatings and BMW Technik GmbH.

BMW noted that the body could be completely replaced in 40 minutes, although Z1 owners have reported that this may be highly optimistic.

[15] The sole drivetrain configuration is a 2.5 Litre M20 straight-six engine and five-speed Getrag 260/5 manual transmission, sourced from the E30 325i.

[5] All the cars were left-hand drive, and the majority (6,443) were sold in BMW's native German market.

BMW Z1 vehicles officially imported to France for sale there have yellow headlights instead of the clear ones found elsewhere.

[21]: 8 Initial demand was strong, with BMW receiving orders for 3,500 vehicles before production began.

Seventy-eight Z1 vehicles were reportedly used as test mules, although most were later sold without a warranty and, presumably, at a lower price.

The colours swimming pool blue and oh-so-orange were reserved for the car's designers, Ulrich Bez and Harm Lagaay.