2002 BMW Z8

Automobile manufacturers with histories as vast and distinguished as BMWs often reference iconic models from their past. BMWs journey down the 'retro' road commenced in 1996 with the Z3 coupe and convertible, with its design inspired by the '328' sports car of the pre-war era. The 'Z07' concept car of 1997 wore similar lines but with design inspiration sourced from the post-war Alfred Goetz-designed '507,' a limited-edition and luxurious roadster that offered superb performance. Despite its mechanical prowess, vast accouterments, and elegant design, the vehicle had all but bankrupted the struggling German company.

The enthusiastic reception of the Z07 at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show inspired BMW to press ahead with a production version, dubbed the Z8. Styling was by a design team led by Chris Bangle, with the exterior designed by Henrik Fisker and the interior by Scott Lempert. Several of the less practical features of the Z07 were not used in the Z8, including the 'double bubble' hardtop, driver's headrest fairing, and four-spoke steering wheel. The windshield of the Z8 was more upward, and the front featured a larger airdam. In most other respects, however, the Z8 remained faithful to the original concept, retaining the distinctive front-wing vents of the Z07, and the 507-like twin nostril front grille. The side-mounted turn indicators remained invisible, hidden within the side vents, that would become visible when activated. The taillights and turn indicators used neon tube lighting that performed quicker activation than standard lightbulbs.

The vintage and simplistic interior of the Z07 was preserved, with the modern accouterments carefully hidden under retracting panels. The round speedometer and rev limiter gauges rested in the middle, above the dual air vents, between the driver and passenger, and canted slightly in favor of the driver. This left a clean, unblemished dashboard in front of the steering wheel, with only the ignition and light switch in view. Many of the functions were integrated into multi-function controls, including the power windows and mirrors which were controlled by a single instrument.

Standard equipment included a color-matching metal hardtop with a rear defroster. Modern appurtenances included stability control, traction control, GPS navigation, front and side airbags, power operation of the seats, and climate control.

The lightweight and corrosion-resistant aluminum body were affixed to the MIG-welded aluminum space frame chassis produced in the Dingolfing Plant. Nearly all elements of the car were constructed or finished by hand in Munich. The heart of the Z8 was a potent V8 engine with nearly 400 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 RPM. The engine, known internally as the S62, was built by BMW Motorsport and positioned behind the front axle, helping the Z8 achieve a 50/50 weight distribution. It was backed by a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox while the Alpina version used a five-speed automatic. Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 4.7 seconds, although Motor Trend magazine performed it in 4.2 seconds. The top speed, like most BMW automobiles, was electronically limited to 155 mph with the delimited top speed achieved at approximately 180 mph.

From the onset of production, BMW promoted the Z8 as an 'instant classic,' and promised that a 50-year stockpile of spare parts would be maintained in order to support the Z8.

The 2000 BMW Z8 had a factory base price of $128,000. In comparison, the 507 had a price of $10,500 and found very few buyers with just 252 examples built. BMW built a total of 5,703 examples of the Z8 'classic roadster' with 3,160 examples sent to the world market and 2,543 for the North American market. Three hundred seventeen examples were sold in 2000, 970 a year later, and 524 in 2002. In 2003, BMW sold 439 examples, followed by 110 in 2004, and 2005 in 17. In 2006, just five examples were sold.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021