BMW wasn’t the first automaker to experiment with carbon fiber in road-legal cars. The quirky hatchback is generally considered the first mass-produced mainstream car to use carbon fiber. A variety of M models still utilize carbon fiber to this day. In 2017, BMW sold its 49% stake in the SGL Automotive Carbon Fiber joint venture, though it retained an 18.3% share in the SGL Carbon company. It’s unclear whether only M cars will adopt natural fiber composites or if regular models will also utilize these renewable raw material components.