The ridiculously beautiful 507 was phased out in 1959 with just over 250 examples to its name. BMW couldn’t make a case for a two-seat roadster until the quirky Z1 entered production in 1989, but looking at the bigger picture, the crowning achievement of the BMW Z lineage is the Z8.
Codenamed E52, the gorgeous open-top sports car was developed between 1993 and 1999, a period that juxtaposes with the introduction of the Z3. But over at BMW, high-ranking executives who knew a thing or two about cars were aware the Z3 was no flagship like the 507 mentioned a little earlier.
The Z8, therefore, is a product of corporate ambition. Early test mules were spotted in 1996, and the public was first given a taste of things to come at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1997 with the reveal of the Z07 Concept.
Due to countless reasons, the design team was unceremoniously forced to delete the driver-side helmet fairing, modify the double-bubble hardtop into a cleaner hardtop, and make the windshield more upright.
Penned under the supervision of Chris Bangle, the Z07 and Z8 were styled by Henrik Fisker for the body shell and Scott Lempert for the cockpit. We all heard about Bangle and Fisker, but Lempert deserves a fair bit of attention too. Following his stint at BMW, he then worked for Volkswagen Audi Spain, Samsung Electronics, Targus, LUMIUM, Flex, and Gembah.
Presented to much critical acclaim, the Z07 was followed by the Z8 in September 1999 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The bean counters at BMW couldn’t make a case for a fixed-head coupe, which is why the bite-the-back-of-your-hand pretty Z8 is a ragtop that flaunts a removable hardtop.
Despite all of these changes, BMW stayed as true as possible to the Z07 Concept and the 507 that predates it. Deliveries began in the year 2000, and through 2003, the German company delivered a grand total of 5,703 units.
Of those, 2,543 were sold in the United States of America whereas the remaining 3,160 units were scooped up by the world market. Made famous by the 1999 James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" starring Pierce Brosnan, the Z8 was replaced by the Alpina Roadster V8 that numbers merely 555 copies, of which 450 cars were shipped to the United States. Oh, and by the way, the reworked model holds a very special place in Alpina history because it’s the very first Alpina to be sold directly through BMW dealerships.
Photo: BMW
Tipping the DIN scales at 1,585 kilograms (3,494 pounds), the Z8 can hit 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 4.7 seconds. Electronically limited to 250 kph (155 mph), the modern-classic sports car will reportedly keep on accelerating until 290 kph (180 mph) without a speed governor.
Offered in five standard colors for the body shell and countless Individual options, the Z8 is gifted with a three-spoke wheel as opposed to four spokes for the steering wheel of the Z07 Concept. Instead of an instrument cluster framed by the wheel, BMW moved all gauges to a central binnacle oriented toward the driver. The gauges in question include gasoline level and coolant temperature readouts, along with a large speedo and a rev counter.
Built around a MIG-welded spaceframe made from durable yet lightweight aluminum, the Z8 started life out in Dingolfing. The chassis was then shipped to Munich for the final assembly, which included lots of fine leather upholstery, a ten-speaker audio system, a CD changer, electric seats and windows, remote central locking, air conditioning, and satellite navigation.
Fitted with 18-inch alloys wrapped in 245/45 and 275/40 rubber shoes from Bridgestone, the German roadster is rocking a 50/50 weight distribution because the free-breathing V8 mill is located behind the front axle. Dubbed S62, the 4.9-liter engine is a semi-dry-sump affair with variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust camshafts. The head and block are both aluminum. Shared with the E39-generation M5, this lump boasts 400 PS (make that 394 brake horsepower) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) at 3,800 rpm.
A Getrag-sourced manual transmission is featured, albeit without the limited-slip differential of the M5. This reminds me of James McDowell, the VP of marketing for BMW at the time, who emailed U.S. dealerships over an issue with the Monroney Label. More specifically, the window sticker mistakenly listed an LSD even though the Z8 had an open rear diff.
This little misprint came with a sincere apology from the Bavarian company and a $750 certificate that could’ve been used to attend a one-day driving program at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
As for the Alpina, they switched to the M62 on which the S62 is based and the 5HP automatic transmission supplied by ZF Friedrichshafen because their interpretation of the Z8 was more about touring rather than hooning.
If you’re in the market for a BMW Z8 or the more dignified Alpina variant, be warned the solenoids of the VANOS variator system may fail, and the valve covers may leak oil. Warped suspension components and cam sensors on their last leg also need to be mentioned. On that note, you should be aware this rarefied car produces lots of wind roar with the soft top erected.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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