Description
Registered October 2002. 365 miles from new!! Stored for 18 years. Fully recommissioned by BMW.
The BMW Z8 is a roadster produced by German automotive manufacturer BMW from 2000 to 2003. The Z8 was developed under the code name "E52" between 1993 and 1999, through the efforts of a design team led by Chris Bangle from 1993 to 1995. The exterior was designed by Henrik Fisker and the interior by Scott Lempert.
The Z8 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate the 1956–1959 BMW 507. Prototypes were spotted testing between 1996 and 1999. A concept was later developed to preview the Z8, called the Z07 and was showcased in October 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show.
The Z8 cost US$128,000, had an all-aluminium chassis and body and used a 4,941 cc (4.9 L; 301.5 cu in) V8 engine which has a power output of 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp) at 6,600 rpm and 500 N?m (369 lbf?ft) of torque at 3,800rpm. The engine, known internally as the S62, was built by BMW Motorsport and was shared with the E39 M5 sports saloon.
The engine is located behind the front axle in order to provide the car with a 50/50 weight distribution. The factory claimed a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) acceleration time of 4.7 seconds; Motor Trend magazine achieved 0–96 km/h (0–60 mph) in 4.2 seconds. Road & Track measured the car's lateral grip at 0.92. 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 automobiles the top speed of the Z8 was electronically limited to 250 km/h (155.4 mph) with the delimited top speed amounting to an estimated 290 km/h (180 mph).
The Z8 used 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. Due to the quirk in the US FMVSS regulations, the turn signal indicators in the tail lights are entirely in red colour.
Every car was shipped with a colour-matching metal hardtop with a rear defroster. Unlike many contemporary hardtops, which are provided for practical rather than stylistic considerations, the hardtop of the Z8 was designed from the outset to complement the lines of the car's styling.
In order to promote the Z8 to collectors and reinforce media speculation about the car'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 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 and production process allowed BMW to offer customised options to interested buyers. A significant number of cars with bespoke paint and interior treatments were produced over the course of the four-year production run by BMW Individual, a division of BMW AG.
Probably the best example available anywhere in the world.
Please contact Sales on 01621-879579 for further details.
