After a long development lead-time, the prototype of the 8th generation of the Zoombike was presented to journalists with the support of BMW in 1995 at the International Automobile Fair (IAA) in Frankfurt. In the period that followed, the Zoombike was production-optimized by the company Elettromontaggi S.r.l. and released to the market in a small series around the year 2000. At the flick of a wrist, it can be folded to form a lengthwise package and at the press of a button broken down into two parts for ease of transportation, be it on public transport or in private vehicles. All the mechanical parts, including the drive chain and the three-speed derailleur, are located in the central tube, as is the front light and battery. To realize his design, Richard Sapper (1932–2015) relied on aerospace technology: The frame was made of extruded, high-tensile aluminum profiles with very thin walls; into the ends of these profiles, diecast aluminum connections are glued that ensure an extremely rigid structure with minimal tolerances. The very small wheel diameters are possible thanks to a special wheel suspension method adopted from automobile making.