The Z8 was the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car, which was designed by Henril Fisker at BMW's DesignworksUSA in Southern California. The Z07 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate the 1956-'59 BMW 507. The Z07 caused a sensation at the '97 Tokyo Auto Show. The overwhelming popularity of the concept spurred BMW's decision to produce a limited production model called the Z8. There were 5,703 Z8s built, approximately half of which were exported to the U.S.
The Z8 remained extremely faithful to the concept car. The Z8 price was $128,000 had an all aluminum chassis and body and used a 4.9 L 32-valve V8, that developed 400 hp 370 torque. This engine was built by the BMW Motorsport subsidiary and was shared with the M5. The engine was located behind the front axle in order to provide the car with 50/50 weight distribution.Motor Trend magazine tested (0–60 mph) in 4.2 seconds.Road and Track mesasured the car's lateral grip at .92. As with most BMW products, its top speed was electronically limited to 155.4 mph the car's maximum top speed with an unlocked computer was 186 mph. The Z8 included an innovative use of 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.
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