[Citizen Z]

I spotted this sweet BMW in Munich several weeks ago but it was something with I am completely unfamiliar. Whatever it is, its owner loved it because the exterior and interior were immaculate. Simply gorgeous.

[BMW Dreamer]

Its A Z8 BRAH. 300HP v8

OOPS I thought 300HP. 400HP sounds correct.

[ScottyGams]

weirdest interior BMW has made in recent years... the radio is under a 007 door, and i don't think the driver has passenger window control!

[Citizen Z]

Originally Posted by Jeff1962

Its A Z8 BRAH. 300HP v8

Kewl. You don't see many of them around, thats for sure. Myself and another Soldier in my company are the only ones around with a 135i, or 128i for that matter.

[BMW Dreamer]

Originally Posted by Citizen Z

Kewl. You don't see many of them around, thats for sure. Myself and another Soldier in my company are the only ones around with a 135i, or 128i for that matter.

I went to a BMW dealer last year in Barrington IL. and they had a mint black Z8 in the showroom. When they first came out I went to the BMW dealer and they wanted $30k over MSRP. $160k.

[Lester]

The BMW Z8 was a car produced by German automaker BMW from 2000 to 2003. It was given the E52 BMW model code.
The Z8 was the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car, which was designed by Henrik Fisker at BMW's Designworks in Southern California. The Z07 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate the 1956-'59 BMW 507. The Z07 caused a sensation at the '97 Tokyo Auto Show. The overwhelming popularity of the concept spurred BMW's decision to produce a limited production model called the Z8. 5,703 Z8s were built, approximately half of which were exported to the USA.

The $128,000 car had an all aluminum chassis and body and used a 4.9 L (4941 cc) 32 valve V8, that developed 400 hp (294 kW) and 500 Nm (363 ft·lbf). This engine was built by the BMW Motorsport subsidiary and was shared with the E39 M5. The engine was located behind the front axle in order to provide the car with 50/50 weight distribution. The factory claimed a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.5 mph) time of 4.7 seconds; Motor Trend magazine achieved 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.2 seconds. Road and Track measured the car's lateral grip at .92. Car and Driver magazine also tested the car and found that it outperformed the contemporary benchmark Ferrari 360 Modena in three important performance categories: acceleration, handling, and braking. As with most BMW products, its top speed was electronically limited to 155 mph (249 km/h); the car's maximum top speed with an unlocked chip was 186 mph (300 km/h).
The Z8 included an innovative use of neon exterior lighting. The tail lights and turn indicators are powered by neon tubes that offer quicker activation than standard lightbulbs and are expected to last for the life of the vehicle. (The vehicle has been erroneously described as the first production vehicle to use neon instead of incandescent bulbs, but the 1995 Ford Explorer and 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, among others, also featured neon bulbs and predated the introduction of the Z8.)
Every Z8 was shipped with a color-matching metal hardtop with rear defroster. Unlike many accessory hardtops, which are provided for practical rather than stylistic considerations, the Z8 hardtop was designed from the outset to complement the lines of the roadster.
In order to keep the interior uncluttered, a number of convenience functions were integrated into multifunction controls. For example, the power windows and mirrors were controlled by a single instrument. Also, the center mounted instrument cluster was canted slightly toward the driver. The displacement of these gauges to the middle of the dash was intended to offer an unimpeded view of the hood and the road ahead.
In order to promote the Z8 to collectors and reinforce media speculation about the Z8's "instant classic" potential, BMW promised that a 50 year stockpile of spare parts would be maintained in order to support the Z8 fleet. Due to the limited volume of Z8 production, all elements of the car were constructed or finished by hand, thereby compounding the importance of ongoing manufacturer support for the type. The price point and production process allowed BMW to offer custom options to interested buyers. A significant number of Z8s with nonstandard paint and interior treatments were produced over the course of the four year production run by BMW Individual, a division of BMW AG.

[Citizen Z]

Good stuff Lester. Thanks. I realized intuitively that it was a special car which is why I photographed it but I couldn't find much to determine what it was. Every bit as special as the custom Audi R8 I saw at the Nurbergring GP circuit in April.

[Mad Dragon]

One of our regular customers has a black Z8, and there's an Alpina Roadster that comes in every once in a while for service.

[Brandon26pdx]

The Z8 was featured in one of the Pierce Brosnan-James Bond flicks 6 or 7 year ago, although I can't remember which one exactly.

Rare, expensive, mildly exotic, rare. Certainly not a car you see every day.

[WhiteOne]

The owner of the Knoxville BMW motorcycle store drives one. It is gorgeous!