Funky, futuristic, fun...

Funky, futuristic, fun: not words you’d normally associate with German sports cars, which usually put performance and design efficiency above all else.

But BMW’s two-seater drop-top Z1 bucks that trend – and is seriously eye-catching, too. Its party trick isn’t its folding roof but the doors, which lower into the high sills at the push of a button.

Presented as a concept in 1986, the Z1 generated such enthusiasm (and 5,000 advance orders) that BMW rushed it into full production. The car made clever use of plastic body panels and a flat composite undertray for improved aerodynamics. High power headlights, a pop-up roll bar and acrylic paint that flexed with the plastic panels were also pioneered by BMW on the Z1.

Under its synthetic skin, which BMW said could be swapped for another colour in 40 minutes (owners claim it actually takes two days), the powertrain and chassis are from the E30 325i saloon. With a shorter platform, stiffening from the undertray and multilink ‘Z’ rear axle, the Z1 is a sure-footed driver’s car.

So what’s the downside? It’s left-hand-drive, the doors can stick and the wheels are hard to replace. But finding one is the biggest pain: of 8,000 made, 6,500 were sold in Germany, so tracking down a car in the UK is tricky.