BMW Technik GmbH (currently BMW Forschung und Technik, or Research and Technology) is celebrating 25 years of concepts, innovation, design, and technology. The people employed in the division are responsible for some of the zaniest concepts to ever come from beneath the Roundel.
The subsidiary company was founded as BMW Technik GmbH in 1985. In the early years, the division's main focus of activities was defined as "the development and construction of concept vehicles".
These include the 1988 Z1 Coupe that was based on BMW Technik's very first project, the limited production Z1 roadster.
However, in 2003, the Bavarian automaker rebranded the division as "BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH", shifting focus to developing technology that encompassed all types of BMW vehicles.