In the late 1990s, BMW wanted convertible sports and grand touring car to rival the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s SL-Class and Jaguar’s XK. Instead of just creating a larger version of their Z3, BMW went the extra mile and designed a car on the 5-Series platform. The result was the absolutely awesome Z8.
The Z8 was on sale between 1998 and 2006, with around 5,700 units produced over this time. It was destined to be the best convertible on the planet, beating out Mercedes’s SL55 AMG and Jaguar’s XKR in one fell swoop. While it looked brilliant on paper, the result was surprisingly disappointing. Many motoring journalists were not impressed with the reality of the driving dynamics – even though it had one of the best chassis underneath. Alpina attempted to fix the car by making it softer, but this also didn’t quite work out. Other than the driving, the Z8 was a masterclass in design, incorporating classic BMW styling with modern lines, resulting in a timeless body that still looks fantastic today.
The BMW Z8 is one of the coolest BMW models ever made and is certainly one of the most unique convertibles in history. Here are a few other things you might need to know about the BMW Z8.
8 It Was Designed By A Legendary Man
The NMW Z8 was designed by a master of automotive design, who was – and still is – a force to be reckoned with. This brilliant designer is Henrik Fisker. Fisker worked at BMW between 1989 and 2001 and designed many cars which we see today.
Among his creations are the Z8, the E1 Concept car, and the first generation X5. He then went on to Aston Martin and designed the DB9 and V8 Vantage. He started his own coachbuilder and created the Fisker Tramonto and Latigo, before moving on to the Karma, the new Fisker models, and even yacht design.
7 It Was Built To Be The Best Roadster On The Market
The Z8 was designed from the ground up to be a great roadster, and it pulled through on that claim. The Z8 was faster and had more driving feel than the equivalent Ferrari 360, yet was more comfortable when just cruising along. The 4.9-liter V8 produced the same power as the M5, sitting at 400hp.
The Z8 was manufactured for four years but was on sale for seven as BMW urged customers to go all out with their color and interior choices. BMW also assured customers that due to the ‘modern-classic’ styling, the Z8 will have a stockpile of parts for at least the next fifty years.
6 It Took Much Inspiration From The 507 Roadster
The Z8 is very much a modern car, but most of its styling was influenced by the 1950s 507 Roadster. The Z8 got the front grille, the side vents, and the overall silhouette from the 507 – giving it some classic car styling with a gorgeous modern twist.
Other similarities included the detachable hardtop roof which every customer got with their Z8, which followed the lines of the car, rather than just being a piece of plastic roof. Unlike many BMWs of the time, the Z8’s hood opened from the front – rather than the rear.
5 The Z8 Was Built On One Of The Best Platforms
Instead of designing and building a whole new platform for the Z8, BMW used one already in their fleet – coincidentally one of the best chassis ever made. They took the E39 M5, replaced the body and interior with the Z8s and tuned it slightly to fit the new model.
The intended result was supposed to be a car that handled like a BMW M5, but with the coolness and exclusivity of a GT roadster. Unfortunately, it was not quite as good, but still outdrove many of the cars in its class. Due to the little number produced (around 5,700), the Z8 is a popular collector’s item and a brilliant car to cruise around in.
4 It Had A Unique BMW Interior
The interior is unique to the Z8 as it does not conform to the typical BMW style. The biggest difference between a normal BMW and the Z8 is the fact that the instrument cluster is in the middle of the dashboard, instead of behind the steering wheel. It’s a bit weird, but it does do the traditional BMW thing where it is angled toward the driver.
Other unique touches include the steering wheel itself, which has three spokes consisting of four thin rods each. The wheel also doesn’t get any multi-functions and the other controls inside the cabin are mostly optimized to do more than one thing. This style of interior is only apparent on the Z8 as all other sporty 2-door BMW models followed mainstream cars.
3 The Car Became Famous Due To Movie Roles
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The Z8 is striking in itself, but what really helped sell it as a future classic were the movies it starred in. It was the spy car for the tuxedo-wearing Jackie Chan in the 2002 action-comedy, Tuxedo. While it was only in the movie for a few minutes to drive around, it made an impact.
The most famous instance of the Z8 in film was the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough. It had lots of screen time, and we saw Bond drive it around Azerbaijan. It was equipped with rockets, and the car could be remotely controlled with the keychain. Unfortunately, the car met its end when the baddies used a helicopter with some sawblades to cut it in half.
2 The Z8 Got The Alpina Treatment
When the Z8 received the criticism it did, Alpina stepped in and tried to fix it. They took the Z8 and replaced the engine, gearbox, and suspension with the 4.8-liter V8 from the X5, the 5-speed automatic used in the 5-Series, and softer suspension which turned it into more of a GT roadster, rather than a sports car.
This didn’t really work as it handled worse and was slower. Alpina also did their typical thing of adding blue to the interior, so the whole top of the dashboard was blue, and the leather changed color as well, resulting in a weird combination of light and blue.
1 The Z8 Is An Investment
Today, it is quite difficult to get a Z8 on the used market as they are so collectible. BMW only produced around 5,700 of them and many are finished in unique trims and colors as BMW encouraged customers to go mad with the BMW Individual treatment.
BMW Z8s can easily cost upwards of $150,000, with most sitting around the $180,000 mark. Some examples featuring unique colors or additions are worth well over $200,000, with the Alpina version reaching a staggering $350,000. It is almost guaranteed that the Z8 will rise in value, no matter what the future holds.