What's twice as good as a Z4?

[dngrCharlie]

A Z8???? At least I think this is a Z8! I was in the San Francisco Bay Area this past week on a short vacation and came upon this beauty parked on Bridgeway in Sausalito. IMO, this is a gorgeous car!



I didn't have my Zed but we did rent a convertible. A Chrysler Seabring? It made me REALLY miss my BMW!

[BimmerZealot]

I hardly consider the Z8 two times as good as the Z4. The Z4 is a much better performer. The Z8 failed so miserably as a "high end" roadster that they pulled it from production after only a few years. Not even the Alpina Z8 is that great, just has a big powerful engine.

[pbdm4k]

But it does have timeless styling. And unlike the Z4, it has held its value quite impeccably over the years.

A fine example will still run you from 120-150k if you were looking to purchase.

And in response to that question, the correct answer is TWO Z4's. :P

[BimmerZealot]

It has held its value because there are so few of them. If there were only 3 years of Z4s then they would be equally valuable. Sure the Z8 cost twice almost 3x as much as the Z4 but that was its original value. If the Z4 only ran for 3 years, its price for a "fine example" would be just as solid. Just like cars that are discontinued and yet still very popular their values are retained much better then discontinued cars that no one liked in the first place. The Toyota Supra at about a decade old w/ 100K miles is still in the 30k range for a "fine example." I have nothing wrong with people liking the Z8 I'm just not a fan.

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by BimmerZealot

I hardly consider the Z8 two times as good as the Z4. The Z4 is a much better performer. The Z8 failed so miserably as a "high end" roadster that they pulled it from production after only a few years. Not even the Alpina Z8 is that great, just has a big powerful engine.

They didn't "pull" the Z8. It was actually originally slated to produce only 4,000 examples. The sales numbers aren't astonishing, but the first couple of years of production the Z8 were virtually impossible to get, since less than a thousand a year were produced world wide.

As for the Z4 being a much better performer, think again too. The Z8 had the V-8 from the M5 with space age aluminum frame. It was, for a short while, the fastest non-M BMW ever, reaching 60 in a BMW published 5.1 seconds, while most magazines got sub 5 second times. For a roadster at the time it also had one of the stiffest chassis, although no where near the stiffness of the E86 chassis it's nothing to scoff at 10,500Nm per degree of deflection (the Z4 roadster is 12,500Nm per degree of deflection. The Z3 roadster is around 9,800Nm).

If you want to go strictly by cost, the Z8 IS twice the car the Z4 is. The base Z8 MSRP was around $120,000, while the most expensive Z4 tops out around $60K. The Z8 is also a pioneer as the first modern all aluminum chassis too. If you want to go strictly by performance, no, the Z8 (nor any other car, for that matter) is not other-worldly better than the Z4.

[mPlasticDesign]

This will always be one of my favorite BMW's.

[AtoB]

Originally Posted by BimmerZealot

I hardly consider the Z8 two times as good as the Z4. The Z4 is a much better performer. The Z8 failed so miserably as a "high end" roadster that they pulled it from production after only a few years. Not even the Alpina Z8 is that great, just has a big powerful engine.

actually, if i remember the alpina Z8 received a smaller engine... the idea was to make it more of a cruiser than a bruiser.

[Dammmittt]

I think the damn thing is fugly.

[03BeastCharmer]

The Z8 is an amazing car. My friend had a sliver with red interior one that he is still kicking himself for letting it go once it was out of warranty. He got an E60 M5, then a M Roadster last year as a stop gap, but he's already looking for a good example in the same color. Wants the S62 version, not the Alpina. The Z8 will always be a classically styled proper roadster.
And it looks even better with the top down.

[GaryRudolph]

I still vote, Z4M Roadster + Z4M Coupe is twice as good

[Yal]

and didn't the Z8 have all sorts of twisted/bent frame issues? I'd go with a Z4M Roadster and stop there. Who needs a hard top in california?

[gokartmozart]

1. The Z8 is a classic retro roadster with very decent power too. Very nice.

2. The Z4 is a postmodern interp on a roadster. A Bangle statement.

3. I prefer an ///M for moving on down the line.

[F87LUV]

twice as good as a z4? two z4s

[ianbiz]

I <3 the Z8. I was driving home from school on the beach on A1A, and I saw older dude driving one, I gave him a thumbs up and waved back, we pulled over and chatted a bit. Sexy car, but Im not crazy about the interior. Its a car I wouldnt mind having in a collection, but def. M6, P-cars, lambo, and a Ferrari first.

[ianbiz]

Originally Posted by ZGirl4U

twice as good as a z4? two z4s

A roadster AND a coupe.

[155MPH]

Oh come on, the Z8 is clearly the most gorgeous roadster that BMW ever designed. If I had 100K laying around I would have one. I would keep my Z4 M roadster too, but I would have that car. I would drive it a couple of times a year, and all the rest of the year I would just walk around it and look at it's sensuous curves

[AtoB]

i love the exterior.... but the interior disappointed me... looks too plastic.

[ianbiz]

Originally Posted by AtoB

i love the exterior.... but the interior disappointed me... looks too awkward.

fixed.

[em2b96p]

that car just SCREAMS JAMES BOND!!!!!!!!

i love the Z8!

[Yal]

I'd say the Z8 is the modern rendition of the BMW 507. Sexy cars, but yes, the dash is appalling.

[ianbiz]

Originally Posted by em2b96p

that car just SCREAMS JAMES BOND!!!!!!!!

i love the Z8!

Yes!

[Zed4NH]

Originally Posted by BimmerZealot

I hardly consider the Z8 two times as good as the Z4. The Z4 is a much better performer. The Z8 failed so miserably as a "high end" roadster that they pulled it from production after only a few years. Not even the Alpina Z8 is that great, just has a big powerful engine.

I must totally disagree with you here. My father-in-law is a car collector and one of his many toys is a Z8. I have been lucky enough to drive it and for me it doesn't even come close... I would take a z8 ANY day over ANY 2 z4's (be it the coupe or the M)!!!!!!!!!!!