We have seen our appropriate share of BMW truck concepts, but never a production model. Once the M3 E30 and M3 E92, which were converted for pick -up, and the newer X7 included. This Karmann K2 is also a BMW truck, but not in the traditional sense. The unique 3 series apparatus is displayed in the retro classic in 2025 in Stuttgart and is both a columnless coupé and a collection.
There are contradictory reports about the K2. The German coachbuilder registered bankruptcy at the end of the 2000s, so the website is dead for a long time. BMW has no details about the unique car in its archives. Karmanns no longer existing website (about Web archive) mentioned the vehicle based on the E36 compact. However, some say that it was actually built on the E36 coupé.
In any case, it was an interesting view of the 3 Series. The rear glass slid under the metal roof to reveal a pickup truck bed with a tailgate that flows down. This is not all – the entire roof (with the glass plate) would move back to cover the bed and effectively turns the car into a convertible with spectacular flying buttresses. The tiny quarter glass windows were also retractable to maximize the open-air feeling.
Other nerdy facts are M3-like bikes and mirrors as well as a third brake light that is mounted on the edge of the movable steel roof field. As cool as the car looks like, we cannot imagine that there were actual plans for a production version. The entire mechanism seems terribly complicated, which would have made the car too expensive. Nevertheless, the Karmann K2 is an interesting view of a coupé, a convertible and a pickup – everything in a small car like the E36.
PS: We cannot help but notice that the passenger door is another silver shadow. However, it can be because the light hits the car.
Source: BMW Classic / Instagram
