2001 BMW Z8 Roadster

BMW released the 507 in 1956. It was a two-seat Roadster that offered exhilarating performance, luxury, and rarity. Years later, at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, BMW displayed a stylish retro-inspired concept car, the Z07. The Henrik Fisker-designed concept was initially intended to exist solely as a concept. After incredible reception and overwhelmingly positive acclaim, the decision was made to put it into limited serial production in 1999.

The resulting Z8 was remarkably faithful to the Z07 concept, with the 507-like twin-nostril front grille and distinctive front-wing vents. Inside the Z07 was a period-style interior, which also made it into the Z8, including a banjo-style steering wheel. The bodywork was formed from aluminum, as was the space-frame chassis. The 4,941cc V8 engine was aluminum as well, a 400-horsepower power-plant that carried the roadster from zero-to-sixty mph in just 4.2 seconds. Standard features included traction control, stability control, front and side air bags, GPS navigation, climate control and power operation of the seats, steering wheel and convertible top.

This particular example was completed at the Munich based Bayerische Motoren Werke in January of 2001. Built for the US market, the new BMW was finished in Topaz Blue Metallic, and trimmed in Black. It came to Charleston, SC later in January of 2001, and was sold to its first owner in February 2001, a Florida based enthusiast. The car is believed to have remained in Florida until the late 2000s, clocking up just over 11,000 miles.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 2012, with less than 12,000 miles on the odometer. Currently it has fewer than 15,300 original miles.

This example is one of 2,543 miles produced for the United States market. It has a factory hard top, tools and service records. The 32-valve dual overhead cam is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017