BMW built a 2-door roadster on the 507 and introduced it in 1999. The Z8 was in development since the early 90s and with engineers and designers like Chris Bangle and Henrick Fisker, it turned out to be one of the most incredible cars from the brand. It even outran some of the strongest competitors on the track and showed its true potential.
As to How many BMW z8 were made, There were 5,703 units manufactured but contrary to the concept of a mass-produced car, the BMW Z8 was a unique one. Powered by a 4.9L V8 engine coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox, the roadster delivered impressive performance. The power output was 395 hp and the maximum torque remained 369 lb.-ft offering a quick and mighty yet smooth driving experience. The neon headlights instead of LEDs looked cool and the interior was luxurious enough with the right amount of technology and safety features. Let us browse through some of the special facts about the beloved Z8.
10. 507 Reasons to Love the Z8
The BMW Z8 is the perfect example of the best of both worlds when it comes to retro vehicles and modern automobiles. Its distinctive look is derived from a retro-futuristic design and the biggest influence is the BMW 507.
The legendary roadster was used as a base for the design of the Z8 and the best part is that the latter was a huge commercial success unlike the former.
9. Designed by Henrik Fisker with Chris Bangle at the helm
Chris Bangle was the lead of the design team when the BMW Z8 was in the pipeline during the 90s. Bangle has been responsible for the designs of several cars from BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce but it was Henrik Fisker who deserves the majority of the credit.
The exterior was his creation while Scott Lempert took care of the interior. Fisker’s first work with BMW turned out to be incredible and he has since worked on cars like DB9 and Vantage V8 from Aston Martin and multiple cars from Ford.
8. Ferrari 360 what?
The Ferrari 360 Modena came out after the Z8 went out of production but the incredible performance of the two made people compare them more often than not. However, the Modena was a better car in theory and everyone was happy to believe it.
A practical test from industry professionals showed that the BMW was indeed able to overtake the Ferrari in acceleration, handling, and braking – all three main categories.
7. A Promise to behold
Despite the Z8 being produced in large numbers, the BMW roadster was always a collector’s special. The main reason behind that was the uniqueness of hand-built features and finishes. Understandably, a lot of parts will not fit the vehicle in case of maintenance.
BMW hence promised the Z8 owners of spare parts stock-piled for the coming 50 years. This saved numerous Z8s from being abandoned due to maintenance issues.
6. MotoGP Safety car from BMW M Division
Motorsports have a history of choosing odd cars for the safety services on the tracks but opting for a Z8 roadster was probably the craziest of them all. BMW’s M Division provided a lot of man-hours to upgrade the sports car to a track-ready mode.
A full roll cage and a limited-slip differential are among the few additions that were made alongside the special safety car livery.
5. The Alpina Version
The Alpina Roadster V8 replaced the original Z8 after the completion of its production. It came with a slightly smaller 4.8L V8 engine and the 5-speed automatic was opted over the 6-speed manual.
The Alpina version was capable of delivering 375 hp of power while the maximum torque was 383 lb.-ft. The roadster with a top speed of 161 MPH had 555 examples built and was sold only through direct BMW dealerships.
4. Pop Culture
The roadster’s fame is not limited to the automotive market only as you will find it in noteworthy movies and video games as well. The most famous appearance is obviously in the James Bond movie, “The World Is Not Enough”. Pierce Brosnan’s elegance and BMW’s charisma are a deadly combo here.
The Z8 was also seen in a spoof Bond movie called The Tuxedo starring Jackie Chan. You can also virtually drive the roadster in games like “Agent Under Fire” and “Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2”.
3. Guess what Bertone Birusa was influenced by?
The Birusa, a concept car developed by Bertone, was introduced at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. It was fitted with a 4.9L V8 engine delivering 395 horsepower and the 6-speed manual gearbox was smooth as butter.
The futuristic design with the gull-wing doors and innovative technology is praised a lot but very few people know that it was based on the BMW Z8. Yes, without the roadster, the incredible Bertone might not have turned up this way or at all.
2. Unique and Personalized
You are already aware that the BMW Z8 was mostly built by hand so it is obvious that each of the models had something unique in them. There were also a lot of personalizations made on the Z8 either by the dealers themselves or from customer preferences.
Starting from Bespoke paints to interior materials, the level of personalization was off the roof. The two-tone ‘Shamu’ cars deserve special mention here and they came in either black and gold (11) or black and silver with a light gray interior (7) making them unmatched in the whole world.
1. Breaking the auction
With a potent engine and incredible performance, the BMW Z8 is still among the most desirable roadsters around the world. In addition, BMW’s promise to supply spare parts kept the vehicle relevant for most of the owners.
The original price of the Z8 Roadster was around $128,000 and even with so many articles available the used cars have a high price tag. The top figure went as high as $445,000 on October 10, 2022. The exclusivity and popularity of the roadster are truly hard to match.
