This futuristic BMW prototype was created in the 1980s in a wind tunnel.

 The 1970s and 1980s are often regarded as BMW's design pinnacles. Beautiful automobiles like the 3.0 CSL, 2002, E28 M5, E24 6 Series, and E30 M3 were introduced to us throughout those decades. However, one design—the BMW AVT—was sadly never developed beyond the idea stage and was just utilized as a technical aerodynamic test bed.

BMW wanted a public relations vehicle to go along with their new aerodynamic wind tunnel facility, which debuted in 1981. BMW created the AVT, or aerodynamischer Versuchsträger (German for "aerodynamic test vehicle," as a consequence, and it has similarities to the Volkswagen XL1 that was inspired by it more than thirty years later. It was only a body designed to test the wind tunnel; it had no interior or engine. But it was such a great design, I wish BMW had the courage to make it a production car. 

 BMW's head of design Domagoj Dukec revealed some photos of the AVT from back in its day and, since it was designed purely for aerodynamics, it looks shockingly modern. It was low, long, wide, and as smooth as a pebble, like so many electric vehicles of today. Its windshield wrapped around the body and looked like a UFO from a '50s movie, its nose sloped almost to the ground, it had pop-up headlights, and its rear wheels were covered. Dukec didn't reveal its coefficient of drag but it's so smooth it makes a teardrop look like a brick, so it's probably pretty impressive.

I imagine a production version of the AVT with the rear-mounted 3.5-liter inline-six from the BMW M1, a five-speed manual, and an Autobahn-dominating top speed. BMW would have been on the cutting edge of efficient supercar performance decades before that would become popular. Sadly, like so many of BMW's other exciting concepts, it never came to be. However, the lessons learned from building its aerodynamic shape went on to help many of the brand's future designs. Hopefully, BMW can relearn some of those lessons and make cars that look like the AVT.