In developing the Z8, BMW married form and function like never before. The design team, under the direction of Christopher Bangle, was able to tastefully design the Z8 to compliment the original 507 design with many similar design features. To fully understand the background of the Z8, one must look at the Albrecht Graf von Goertz 507 that was revealed in 1955 in New York. This car was not only a brand new model for the marque, but a step in a new direction for the company that was focusing on compact cars and motorcycles.

The design is flawless from any angle, inside and out, carried over from Henrik Fisker’s Z07 concept introduced at Tokyo in 1997 and paying homage to the Count Albrecht Goertz-designed 507 of the 1950s with side vents, a sleek front end and such retro touches as a banjo-type steering wheel.

The Z8 was to serve not only as a “halo” car for the BMW lineup but was also used as a test bed for new engineering techniques. The real technical achievement was hidden from view—an advanced form of welded and extruded aluminum space-frame chassis construction. Despite the high cost, it proved feasible. Ultimately, the same construction methods were used to underpin the BMW-engineered Rolls-Royce Phantom when it appeared four years later. The beautiful and timeless styling was the work of Henrik Fisker, who was then heading up BMW’s Designworks studio in California.

With 50/50 weight distribution and the acceleration of a Ferrari 360 Modena, this was BMW’s fastest roadster to date, the movie car choice of James Bond and a true supercar with brilliant braking and cornering. Motor Trend magazine brought out its true “M” potential, achieving a 0- to 60-mph sprint of just 4.2 seconds, and top speed was reported as 155-mph.

This highly sought after BMW roadster is equipped with a 4.9-liter DOHC, 400-hp V-8 engine. This is the same engine that was used in the M5. Mated to the engine is a strong and precise six-speed manual transmission. The Z8 has electronic traction control and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS; and factory alloy wheels. The odometer displays 11,000 miles; and this stellar roadster comes fully equipped with modern power amenities that one would expect from a modern BMW. It also comes with the factory hardtop, holder and cover; and two sets of keys, books, tool kit, wind deflector and front license plate mount.