BMW Z8: Munich's most misunderstood car? | PistonHeads

The Ford GT, Mercedes SLS AMG and even the new Mini proved that reboots could work. So how come the Z8 struggled to get off the ground?

Well, in the UK anyway. BMW sold 5,703 examples between 2000 and 2003, almost half of which were in the US. But fewer than 150 sold in Britain, and fewer still are on the road today. It's certainly got all the right ingredients: a beautiful Henrik Fisker design that pays homage to the old BMW 507, a bespoke interior and the 400hp V8 from the E39 M5. Perhaps it was ahead of its time, because the Z8 feels fresher than ever in 2024. We'll leave it to Cam to explain why.

A huge thank you to the seller of this BMW Z8 for allowing us to film their car.


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[garagecedric]

I threw away the runflats on my e91 bmw i once had, it really transformed the ride! Always liked the z8 design since the day it came out, it still looks really good!

[andytait]

What. A. Noise. And, what gorgeous car. It was great to see it at the PH Annual Service. Nicely done video too!

[ThrottleBody]

Absolutely love the interiors of these.

[longbeachcarguy]

How can you go wrong with a gorgeous roadster with a fruity V8, a manual gearbox and a bespoke interior with no stupid entertainment screens? A classic. Unfortunately the only classic BMW in 50 years alongside the M1. Great video, thxs!

[Kessler]

Combination of really good camerawork and a cute presenter made this a great review :D

[craigzaller]

Stunning amazing car. I got mine in 2009. I will die with this car!

[Hythe]

Not sure you could say that the Alpina V8 Roadster received the “standard M62” engine - it was a tuned 4.8 litre version of the M62, which at that point had 4.4 litres, and had more torque than the S62. Not exactly “standard”… the Alpina was really built for the US market, primarily.

[Gaaaaaaaaaaad]

Love it. In the flesh it looks beautiful

[chumpey]

Such a great car and one of my all time dream vehicles...but...it's not worth £200K+.

[clownworld-honk]

Is he taking a break from the set of The Umbrella Academy! For less money, the Mercedes SL gave similar performance and kudos plus being right hand drive made this car a tough sell.

[davepoole]

Is the gear lever poorly placed? Journalist seems to have reach and stretch too far……?

[adrianpana]

bro from this car he born slk merc ffs thei stolen