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The BMW Z8 roadster was produced for the 2000-'03 model years. It possessed all the necessary ingredients of a true sports car: superior performance, outstanding design and rarity.
Its all-aluminum chassis was exceptionally stiff and light, resulting in exemplary road feel. Driving hard, one could feel what was happening -- and, more important, what was going to happen -- better than seeing it. This lent extraordinary confidence when exploring the outer limits of its performance envelope.
Likewise, the steering, suspension and braking systems connected to this super-solid chassis operated with pinpoint precision. Many chassis components were borrowed from BMW's world-class sedans and recalibrated, and the resulting ride wasn't quite as supple as those vehicles but certainly not harsh either.
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| BMW Z8 Roadster |
Under the hood was a 4.9-liter V8 producing 394 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual transmission. (The one-year run of the Z8-based BMW Alpina came with an automatic transmission.) Thanks to its electronic variable valve timing system, the Z8 could purr about town, and then let loose with a shriek once pointed down a deserted road. In tests of the time, the Z8 typically posted 0-60-mph times in the mid-4-second range.
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| BMW-Z8-Interior |
In general, the BMW Z8 was a pretty easy car to drive. And thanks to BMW's effective Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, the Z8 was kind to drivers who weren't professionally trained. It combined antilock brakes, traction control and cornering stabilization to ensure that over-eager drivers were appropriately reined in before they completely lost their substantial investment in a smoldering heap.
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