10 Of The Most Unsuccessful BMW Vehicles Ever Made

BMW is a textbook example of sales success in the automotive industry. It's the best-selling luxury automaker globally, shipping more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2024, and beating its biggest rivals, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

The main reason for the automaker's success is the extensive portfolio of successful BMW models; BMW not only dominates the premium sedan market with the 3 Series and 5 Series, but also has hugely popular SUVs, like the X3, X5, and X6. Let's not forget the high-performance offerings from its M Division, which continue to lure enthusiast buyers into showrooms.

Still, often in an effort to innovate with groundbreaking products, BMW has been notorious for producing many sales flops over the years. Most of these were great cars but ended with lackluster sales due to exorbitant prices and high development costs. Still, some were downright unattractive, undeserving of the blue-white logo.

In this piece, we'll have a closer look at some of those vehicles. We'll tell you what made them different, and of course why they ultimately failed. So, from Elvis Presley's favorite ride to a James Bond classic, here are the 10 most unsuccessful vehicles BMW has ever produced.

Mercedes-Benz shocked the automotive world in 1954 with the introduction of the 300 SL. With its futuristic looks, gullwing doors and advanced engineering, the world's first supercar showed Merc's prowess in the industry. This, of course, forced a response from BMW, who just started gaining market share after the devastating WWII.

What BMW had in mind, though, was a classic roadster with unmistakable elegance — the 507. Arguably the best-looking BMW of all time, the 507 was designed to be a lower-cost alternative to the 300 SL — a car that would offer exhilarating performance, but one that's also approachable, like MG's roadsters from the era. Designed by Albrecht von Goertz, the aluminum-bodied roadster indeed looks like a piece of art.

Still, the 507 was also developed to strengthen BMW's image in America, so BMW equipped it with a 3.2-liter V8 that produced 150 horsepower. It was an exotic engine, showing BMW's engineering prowess with polished combustion chambers and a chain-driven oil pump. The V8 was tasked with moving 2,930 pounds, which translated to a 0-60 sprint of 8.8 seconds. It sounded glorious, too.

Predictably, the 507 was a hit among some deep-pocketed buyers. Elvis Presley famously bought two. However, not everyone was convinced. The 507 was simply too expensive, costing more than the 300 SL it was made to undercut initially. BMW expected to sell 5,000 units annually in the U.S alone, but it only sold 252 globally. It was such a flop that it nearly bankrupted BMW.

You'd think BMW learned its mistake with the 507, but the Bavarian giant again tried to dip its toes in the exotic car market with the M1. This time, though, BMW's halo supercar was primarily designed for FIA Group 4 racing. To enter, BMW needed to make at least 400 road-legal vehicles, with similar looks to the race car.

The automaker kept the focus on design. The M1 was a wedge-shaped mid-engine supercar like the Italian exotics of the time, penned by none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro. Sharp. Purposeful. Timeless. The M1 is one of the coolest BMWs to ever reach showrooms. It packs a punch, too. The Bavarian supercar could reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and had a top speed of 165 mph, equipped with a 277-horsepower, 3.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-six. It hummed like a race car, too. Thanks to the mid-engine configuration and advanced suspension, the M1 is often lauded for its excellent handling balance.

Unfortunately, the M1 was a development nightmare. Initially, BMW partnered with Lamborghini to develop the racecar's space frame chassis. Meanwhile, Dallara was tasked to develop the suspension and Italdesign the fiberglass body.

However, Lamborghini soon declared bankruptcy, and BMW went with Italian Resina for the body, and Marchesi for the space frame. Finally, the parts were shipped to Baur (Stuttgart) for assembly. Predictably, production and development costs went through the roof, leading to high prices and lackluster sales (460 made). The M1 didn't even succeed in racing, mainly because of regulation changes.

After the downfall of the M1, BMW was back at the drawing board. This time, the company wanted to try something completely different and something that no other automaker even dared to do — a futuristic roadster with sliding doors. It was a wild concept imagined by an isolated think tank of highly skilled BMW engineers and designers, which the company decided would enter production.

Enter the Z1, one of the wildest sports cars the industry has ever seen. BMW Z1's coolest feature was undoubtedly the sliding doors, which disappeared into the body sills to provide a door-less driving experience. You could literally touch the road while driving the Z1 if you dared.

However, the think tank also imagined the Z1 as a hub for pushing advanced materials. The roadster also had removable plastic body panels, allowing owners to change the color of their Z1 depending on the mood. Heck, you could even drive the car without them. This was made possible by a stiff monocoque chassis of sheet steel.

The floor, however, was made from fiber-composite and weighed just 33 pounds (15 kilograms). The Z1 also had a very strong windshield with a built-in roll bar. Powering this weird concoction was a 2.5-liter inline-six, producing 167 horsepower. Positioned behind the front axle, it gave the Z1 a 49:51 weight distribution. Unfortunately, all its funky features and undeniable driving appeal weren't enough to lure buyers. BMW sold only 27,000 units, making it another expensive sports car flop for the company.

Here is another halo BMW car story that sounds all too familiar. After achieving excellent success with its premium sedans and the 6 Series grand tourer, BMW was ready to compete in the highest echelon. Money was no object, with the Bavarian automaker pouring a staggering $900 million into the development of the brand-new high-end grand tourer, the E31 8 Series.

Suffice to say, BMW wowed the audience at the 1989 Frankfurt auto show. Designed by Klaus Kapitza, the 850i is an older luxury car that's still stylish today. Sleek. Sporty. Futuristic. All other necessary ingredients to create a high-end grand tourer were there, too. Under the pointy front end with pop up headlights, BMW slapped a 5.0-liter V12 that produced 296 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque.

The 850i was an instant hit, with BMW selling all 12,000 units it produced annually by 1993. Things got better, with the 1992 850 CSi packing a larger 5.6-liter V12, good for 375 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. BMW even added a smaller 5.4-liter V12 to the lineup, and later a 4.0-liter V8.

However, one model was evidently missing from the lineup — the M8. The ultra-high-performance model should've had a 6.1-liter V12, good for 550 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque, but it never reached production. The early 1990s recession ultimately killed this model, and just like the 507 before it, the E31 couldn't translate its huge initial success into long-term victory with BMW selling just 30,621 units.

Entering the 1990s, BMW had a well-established portfolio of luxury sedans and a halo car in the form of the 8 Series. However, the Bavarian automaker lacked a competitor in the increasingly popular compact segment in Europe. A smaller Golf competitor that would lure younger buyers into its showrooms. BMW launched the 3 Series Compact in 1994. Unlike its competitors in the segment, though, BMW wasn't going to develop an all-new front-wheel-drive platform. Instead, the company shrank the E36 3 Series platform to create a smaller rear-wheel-drive coupe. It also equipped the base versions with four-cylinder engines and even turbodiesels.

However, the 3 Series Compact could also be equipped with the brand's new M52 2.5-liter inline-six engine, which made 168 horsepower. Paired with a five-speed manual, it propelled the small BMW to 62 mph in 7.8 seconds, an excellent figure for the era. The second-gen model saw a power bump to 189 horsepower, cutting the acceleration figure to 7.1 seconds.

Looking at these figures, you'd probably wonder how the 3 Series Compact ended up being a flop. Heck, young enthusiasts today would kill for a RWD sports coupe with an inline-six engine. BMW's smallest model at the time didn't sell all that bad but simply couldn't compete with the Audi A3 and VW Golf. While its competitors were five-door hatchbacks, the 3 Series Compact was a more compromised two-door coupe. For the next generation small vehicle, BMW also went the hatchback route with the brand-new 1 Series.

BMW wasn't ready to throw the towel after the relatively unsuccessful 8 Series and prepared a new halo car for the new millennium. This time, the Bavarian automaker went with a spiritual successor to the mythical 507. Stunning looks that borrowed inspiration from the 507: Sweet-sounding V8, open top, a role in the James Bond: The World is Not Enough Movie; Heck, even Steve Jobs bought a BMW Z8, harking back to Elvis Presley's love for the 507.

Being a halo car, the Z8 shared almost no parts with other BMWs. The roadster was built almost entirely from aluminum, with a monocoque chassis giving it outstanding stiffness and lightness. Inside, its dashboard was also made from aluminum, with the automaker designing unique aluminum switches. Even the instruments were placed in the middle, as opposed to every other BMW.

The Z8 was also at the pinnacle of roadster performance. Under its long bonnet, BMW installed the 4.9-liter V8 from the E39 M5, good for 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The roadster came exclusively with a six-speed manual and reached 60 mph in just four seconds. The V8 packed an intoxicating sound, too.

All the ingredients were there for a new BMW legend. Indeed, the Z8 is somewhat legendary. However, it never sold well, with BMW producing only 5,703 units. Costing around $128,000 when new, the Z8 was again deemed too expensive. That's $237,000 when adjusted for inflation today, which is supercar money territory.

The 5 Series GT was a car that tried to be the jack of all trades but ended up being the master of none. Just look at it; It had ungainly proportions with a weird bubble-like roof that makes it look almost cartoonish. I has the oh-so-popular coupe-like rear end, but it simply doesn't connect well to the rest of the vehicle. BMW imagined it as a high-roof grand tourer, but those two obviously don't mash together.

The idea was, of course, to offer a combination of style and practicality. Based on the regular 5 Series, the Gran Turismo had some nifty features, like a sliding rear bench with more legroom than the sedan. Still, due to the sloping roof, it also had limited headroom. Also, the trunk aperture was bigger than on the sedan, but the space wasn't as practical as a wagon would've been. And make no mistake, a 5 Series Touring wagon existed at the time, though not in the U.S. Lastly, the 5 Series GT was a huge car at 16.4-feet long. As such, it never felt sporty.

What killed this car is the fact that it lacked higher ground clearance. Although polarizing, the first-gen E71 X6 crossover-coupe was already a hit for BMW, leaving no space for the 5 Series Gran Turismo in the lineup.

BMW obviously had high hopes for its Gran Turismo series because in 2013 it launched a GT version of the 3 Series. Although more compact, the 3 Series Gran Turismo looked even clumsier, particularly from the rear ¾. Again, the roof looked almost swollen, completely ruining the proportions of the car. The large glass area only added to the toyish look of the 3 Series GT. The frameless windows, although cool, didn't help matters much.

One could argue that the 3 Series Gran Turismo was better to drive than the X4 crossover, thanks to the lower ground clearance. Still, it's the X4 that received a high-performance M40i variant with 355 horsepower. Meanwhile, the most potent option in the GT was a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six good for 321 horsepower. Still, the GT was more practical than the 3 Series sedan, with a 40-20-40 split-folding rear bench and 2.7 inches more legroom.

Unfortunately, buyers that wanted more practicality ventured into BMW's crossover range, because of the added ground clearance. Meanwhile, no BMW enthusiast saw the 3 Series Gran Turismo as a sleek, sporty car. Predictably, this led to lackluster sales. Seven years after its introduction, BMW axed the model from its lineup. It was not the last Gran Turismo model to be discontinued, though, with the 6 Series GT continuing until 2023.

You can poke fun at BMW for being too eccentric at times, but you can't fault the company for being afraid to experiment. Sure, Nissan beat it to the punch with the Leaf in 2010, and Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, but BMW was quick with an answer. Enter the i3, a futuristic city dweller with advanced electric powertrain technology. BMW's first foray into EVs looked visionary, as if the automaker brought it back from the 2030s.

Unlike its rivals, BMW wasn't ready to fully commit to batteries. There was an all-electric model with a 27-kWh battery, but with a 124-mile range, it was only good for urban usage. Still, it was very light, thanks in part to the utilization of carbon fiber. Thus, even with an underpowered 168-horsepower motor, the i3 EV reached 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.3 seconds.

To satisfy the needs of buyers that wanted longer range, BMW didn't offer a larger battery option. Instead, it offered an i3 with a small two-cylinder range extender engine, good for 38 horsepower. This boosted the range to 205 miles and meant that you could drive the i3 by topping up at a gas station.

For many buyers, the range extender defeated the purpose of an electric car in the first place. BMW later launched a 42.2-kWh EV version for 177-193 miles of range, but it charged at glacial 50 kilowatts. Sales were predictably subpar, so BMW discontinued the i3 in 2022.

Did you think BMW would resist the chance to also launch a halo range-extender EV? Of course not! Quickly after teasing us with the i3, BMW launched the breathtaking i8 alongside the city car at the IAA motor show. It looked unlike anything at that time; heck, it appeared more visionary even than today's supercars. With its sharp body lines, butterfly doors, and stunning flying buttress rear design, the i8 was a revelation.

Still, unlike the smaller i3, the i8 was never available as an all-electric vehicle. Still, its plug-in hybrid powertrain was super advanced for the time. The main source of power was a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, producing 231 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. The internal combustion engine was aided by a 228-horsepower electric motor, with the power then being sent to a six-speed automatic. However, the i8 also had an electric motor on the front axle that produced 129 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, connected to a two-speed transmission.

Overall, the i8 produced 357 horsepower, while its 7.1-kWh battery provided an electric-only range of 22 miles. After the 2019 refresh, BMW installed a larger 11.6-kWh and bumped the i8 to 369 horsepower. The result — a solid 0-60 acceleration figure of around four seconds. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to entice shoppers. The i8 also lacked the aural drama of regular supercars, with its three-cylinder engine sounding rather tame. It was also very expensive, which was perhaps the biggest reason why BMW discontinued the i8.