BMW Z8

Of all the designs that emerged from the retro-styling trend of the late 1990s, few were as effective, and even fewer have held up over time as well as the BMW Z8. Presented as the Z07 concept, this nostalgic convertible debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, paying homage to the legendary and exclusive 507. Despite the stunning looks of this mid-century roadster, the 507 was not a success for BMW. In fact, the 507 even put BMW in a precarious financial position. In a way, the Z8 offered a chance to right that historical wrong, which it did with brio.

Under the nostalgic skin of the Z8 lies a highly refined, modern BMW. The Z8 is built on an aluminum spaceframe with aluminum body panels, Xenon headlights, independent four-wheel suspension (including an advanced five-arm setup at the rear), power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, ASC+T traction control, front and side airbags, and a solid V8 with four camshafts and dual VANOS variable valve timing mated to a six-speed manual transmission. This 400-hp engine, built by BMW Motorsport, also present in the E39 M5, catapults the Z8 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds! The top speed is capped at 250 km/h, but without this limit, the Z8’s top speed would be 300 km/h!

Almost all comfort and convenience options were included, including a power-adjustable steering column, satellite navigation, air conditioning, six-way power-adjustable sport seats and a Harmon Kardon sound system with 10 speakers and a six-CD changer.

Each Z8 was built largely by hand on a special production line at BMW’s Munich plant.

Even before the BMW Z8 was sold, it was wildly popular. This is because he was featured in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, which came out in November 1999.

This Z8 was delivered new by AS United Motors, Talliin in Estonia to its first and only owner. Most of the Z8 was ordered in titanium silver, but only 291 were produced in red, only 77 of which had the Sportred/Black interior!

We believe the car still wears its factory paint.

The car today has only 28,607 well-documented miles. The Z8 is the epitome of stylish BMW performance with its M-derived 400-hp V-8 engine and six-speed manual transmission.

Included with this Z8 is the owner’s manual with pouch, original service booklet and 3 keys. A blend of classic design and modern performance, the BMW Z8 – like its spiritual predecessor, the 507 – seems destined to become even more attractive with time.