The BMW Concept Touring Coupé gets its design inspiration from the iconic Z3 ‘Clown Shoe’.
Back in the late 1990s, BMW decided to take the Z3, give it the weirdest looking hardtop shell and turn it into a coupé for the sake of better driving performance. The result was the ultra-rare Z3 M Coupé, nicknamed the ‘clown shoe’ for its strange side silhouette. Over the weekend, the company announced the Concept Touring Coupé at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023 – a spiritual successor to the ‘clown shoe’.
Just like the original model, the BMW Concept Touring Coupé takes the Z4 roadster and gives it a hard top for a ‘shooting brake’ look. This essentially makes it a two-seater with loads of room in the back for luggage. Given how expensive a potential production model would be, they’ve gone ahead and created some custom Italian luggage bags.
The BMW Concept Touring Coupé a sculpted rear end, seamlessly integrated with the flowing roof contours and rear side panels. This design element accentuates the car’s athletic shoulders, while the flat rear window and well-defined body surfaces emphasize its solid stance. From a side view, the shooting-brake proportions are clearly recognizable.
The long bonnet, sleek roof contours, and powerful rear section create a distinct two-box design. The elongated side window graphic with the iconic Hofmeister kink and flared rear wheel arches further enhance its sporty elegance.
For the BMW Concept Touring Coupé, a bespoke Sparkling Lario exterior paintwork was specially crafted. With embedded flakes of blue glass, the grey-brown hues create a unique impression of depth. Complementing this effect are the silver-bronze accents and the typically oversized BMW kidney grille with longitudinal bars.
The exclusive 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels, featuring a 20-spoke radial design, seamlessly continue the color accents. The intricate implementation and discreet gold-colored surfaces highlight the vehicle’s elegant sporty character.
Inside the BMW Concept Touring Coupé, craftsmanship takes center stage. The driver-oriented cockpit features meticulously selected materials, a carefully crafted color scheme, and impeccable workmanship.
A bi-color option from renowned Italian leather workshop Poltrona Frau divides the interior horizontally, creating two distinct color segments. The upper section employs a dark brown tone to enhance concentration while driving, while the lower section incorporates a light saddle brown to provide comfort and warmth.
There’s no word on whether this concept will go into production, but if it does, you can expect it to be perhaps as overpriced as its 3.0 CSL reinterpretation.
