Why is the BMW Z8 so expensive?

Among the reasons the Z8s are desirable and valuable.

1. Not a car that’s part of a series (ie 550 and then 575). It was a one and done model.

2. Modern interpretation of the 1950s BMW 507 - one of the most valuable BMWs of all time.

3. S62 5.0L V8 is a jewel of an engine. Same engine from the M5 of that era and very usable on HP and torque. Engine was used to win the 24 hours of Daytona in a prototype in the last few years. With the right exhaust the Z8 sounds like a European Cobra.

4. Roadsters always highly valued. Every z8 came with a removable hardtop as well.

5. Bmw built the car to be a classic, producing 50 years worth of parts for it.

6. Quality is subjective, but the z8 is engineered and constructed to a remarkably high standard. Spend some time messing with the switch gear in a z8 and it becomes evident.

7. Cool features like aluminum frame, built in flip phone, neon tail and side lights, center stack gauges, buttery smooth gear box and others make the car interesting and fun.

8. Very limited ongoing regular maintenance required. No engine out services, etc. you

9. Was a James Bond car - that never hurts.

I’m sure others can add more.


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I personally think it’s the nicest look care produced during that period. The market seems to agree.

 

As these cars age their desirability is less about their outright performance and more about their aesthetics, usability and fun factor.

A low mile Z8 just sold for over $400k. I personally think the Z8 will age into a status similar to the MBZ 300 SL Roadsters.

None of this is a slight on the 550/575. Maybe your question should be more about why are those cars undervalued than Z8s over valued.


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They are really really fun to drive. Its just a cool car. Thats all.

 

I agree with you that I don't get it either. But I think it is an aesthetic thing. I have a buddy who has owned one from new, and I have driven it many times, even on the track. I had 360's at the time, and to me the 360 was more engaging to drive. No slight against the Z8.

 

Spend a few hours driving a Stradale, a lp640 and a Z8, and then tell us which you prefer.

 

Collector value lies in it being a top of line 2 seat convertible that bmw only make every 50 yrs or so. Other cars like murci, 360, 550 continue onwards as new improved models. Bmw didn't make a successor to z8.

people look at a murci and say, guy couldnt afford aventador. Can't say that w z8

 

It is sort of like asking why a Brioni sweater cost $1500 or why would someone pay $50.00 a pound for butter (neither of which make sense to me). It is about the value of something (to the buyer or seller), vs desirability vs what the market will bear. Trying to say one car drives better so it is worth is not the way the market judges it, if so a modern Miata would be worth more than a Gull wing or many of the older cars that sell for millions at auction. I have driven a couple of classics (that were worth well over 500K probably way more now), and I walked away thinking who would want to own this old piece of. In the end like I have always thought a good deal is merely a state of mind, yours, mine, or the person who paid 400K for that Z8.

 

I’ve owned a 550, a 575, and a CS (actually 2 different CS’s).

While I would agree that the CS was/is the most exciting of the 4 cars to drive, it was also the least usable for the same reason. It’s loud, has a race car suspension that can be punishing on the street and can be fatiguing to use. In addition, the F1 transmission that felt very modern in 2004 now feels old-fashioned and lethargic and is now a neutral if not negative feature of the CS. The CS is great on backroads, mountains and at the track, it’s a car you have to tolerate otherwise. The CS is pure sportscar. I happen to think that the CS is the best looking of the 4 cars but others will disagree and there’s no right answer.

The Z8 is more analogous to the Maranellos than the CS. The Z8 and the M’s are GT cars designed for comfortable, fast, and sporting cruising. They’re enjoyable in the twisties and can be fun for an occasional track day. They are comfortable and fairly easy to use - could be and still are daily drivers.

The M’s are great cars and their V12s have proven to be quite reliable. In my experience the Z8 build quality is a couple of levels above the Maranellos. The z8’s engineering, materials and build quality is super high end and the car doesn’t have the finicky issues that my Maranellos always had.

The Maranello has a fabulous design and great proportions. In my opinion it looks a little bit dated right now though I expect that will evolve into being broadly considered a classic design over the next 10 years. The Z8 has a more timeless design that looked both modern and classic from the start. I think that helps with Z8 values.

Go test drive a Z8 if you can and ideally drive one with an aftermarket exhaust like the Meistershaft. That wakes the car up in the same way a Tubi does a Maranello.




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There were only 2400 in the Western Hemisphere. It is probably the best car that I have ever owned.

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Maranello and Z8 production were similar. +/- 5,140 for the Maranellos and +/- 5,700 for the Z8. Yes, only about 1,300 CS' built but there were over 16,000 360's constructed.

 

I’ve owned 11 Ferrari. I had a Stradale (with stripes). It was a terrific track car but absolutely useless on the street. Getting out of the car after driving an hour felt like you just went 12 rounds in a boxing ring. With 2 passengers it scraped bottom constantly. It was definitely not a car I would drive to a restaurant with my wife. But on the track it was impeccable. So I guess the value of a car would be determined by how and where it’s used.
The Z8 and 575 are gentlemen’s high speed GT cruisers. They are cars you and your passenger can enter and exit without gymnastics. Both can be driven every day in comfort.
I have no experience with the lp640 but it doesn’t strike me as a daily driver.
Of the four, I take the 575 to drive, and the Z8 to keep for appreciation.

 

It's a convertible, cool looking and a one-off for the brand (as opposed to the 575 which belongs to a long line of 12-cylinder Ferrari GT cars). That's it, in my opinion. I personally found it a bit uninspiring to drive...

 

I think its the best looking car made since 2000. That alone makes it valuable to me.

One day I hope to own one.

 

Okay try looking at it this way. You are driving down the road in your F430 and a new Camaro Z (whatever) pulls along side of you, the guy the Camaro thinks damn my car can run circles around that thing and that fool paid 3 or 4 times what I did for my car. You look over and think (not saying that anyone here would think this) it is just a Chevy who cares how fast it is. To many people owning and driving a Ferrari is thought of as not as well as it is on this board.. When I first met my girlfriend she told a friend of hers about me and that I owned all these cars including a Lamborghini, her friend said he must be compensating for something. Being as I am I have studied and attempted to mimic behaviors all my life, and the hardest thing to understand for me has been the perceptions people have, the perception of value is what this is all about. To most people no car could ever be worth what a new Ferrari costs.

 

Nearly 500 cars, that would have to be one HUGE thing you were compensating for, Morrie!

 

it was designed by henrik fisker, and is a very cool design. lots of interesting perspectives and aspects to it. it is not cliched.
if i had space and the DI i would buy one.

 

timeless beauty...BMW's halo car. Can't really compare the Z8 to the cars you mentioned. I also own a 2005 Murci gated Roadster. I could daily the Z8, not the Murci. Z8 is a GT car, Murci Roadster is a true exotic with no useable roof, so its a car show car for me.

 

LOL, yup quite a lot of things but fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), none of them are physical..