To Be OFFERED AT AUCTIONEstimate:
£260,000 - £300,000
- Recorded mileage of just 364 miles from new
- One of only eight Z8s supplied new to the UK
- Rare Topaz Blue over Creama and Black colur combination, one of
only 37
- Accompanied by original factory hardtop and BMW handbooks
Please note this motor car has either been driven for no more than
6,000 kilometres or is less than six months of age from new. For
this reason please note that the car may be considered 'as new' for
VAT purposes if removed from its current country of registration.
Please contact RM Sotheby's for further information regarding this.
Please also note this title is in transit. The registration number
is being placed on retention, and a new V5C will follow from the
DVLA post-sale
Please note that this lot will need to be collected in Chobham,
U.K.
Perhaps the quintessential "retro look" car of the 1990s and 2000s,
the BMW Z8 had been some six years in the planning prior to its
official launch at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show. Its designer,
Henrik Fisker, had previously been heavily involved with the design
of the E30 M3, although his new charge had its roots in the Z07
concept car of 1997 - which in turn took heavy styling cues from
Albrecht von Goertz's timeless 507 design of 1955. The classic
twin-nostril, long bonnet stance of the 507 was refined and updated
for the Z8 - and, crucially, for the late twentieth century -
whilst the choice of a torquey V8 engine and provision of a stylish
detachable hardtop also harked back to the original car.
Featuring an aluminium spaceframe chassis and body, the Z8 used
BMW's 5.0-litre S62 engine, as fitted to the contemporary M5
saloon. Throughout the design process, BMW had been mindful of
weight, and extensive use of aluminium and other lightweight
components meant that the car came in at a respectable 1,585
kilograms, with near 50:50 front to rear weight distribution. This,
allied to its potent 400 horsepower capability, propelled the Z8 to
60 mph in a little over four seconds, and 0-to-100 mph-to-0 in a
mere 14.5 seconds. The Z8's dynamic performance was similarly
impressive, its ultra-stiff stressed-skin chassis affording the car
a level of grip through corners comparable to the then
class-leading Ferrari 360 Modena, whilst at the same time
permitting a ride quality superior to many every day saloons.
Arguably the Z8's greatest achievement was to package cutting edge
technology so discreetly and stylishly as to not conflict with the
car's retro aesthetics. Despite boasting features such as traction
control, stability control, airbags and GPS navigation, none were
overtly visible in the cockpit, which boasted a body colour
dashboard - as the 507 had done before - and a centrally mounted
instrument cluster, the latter permitting the driver an unimpeded
view of the road ahead.
An initial preliminary batch of 19 show and press cars aside,
production of the Z8 commenced in earnest in 2000, continuing for
just four years and totalling a mere 5,703 units. Of this number, a
little over 2,500 were supplied to the US market; the remainder
being distributed primarily to Continental Europe.
This particular example is one of just eight BMW Z8s supplied new
to the U.K. and is one of 37 finished in the desirable colour
scheme of Topaz Blue with a Crema and Black leather interior.
Having covered just 364 miles from new, it unsurprisingly remains
in near perfect original condition in every respect having been in
storage in North London for the last seventeen years. The PDI check
stamped in the service book was carried out on 19th August 2002 by
BMW Crossflags of Dumfries, Scotland and a second service carried
out by BMW main dealer Hexagon in Finchley, on the 8th June 2004
with 361 miles recorded. For peace of mind it is having a service
carried out by BMW Sunningdale at the time of writing to confirm
the car is in excellent running condition. The electric roof and
windows all operate as expected and testament to the cars condition
an unused Motorola Star Tac telephone with its protective screen
film is mounted in the central cubby. The factory handbooks in
their original leather wallet accompany the car along with a
leather Z8 key cover, service keys, as well as a complete tool
roll, along with the factory hardtop and wind deflector. There can
be few - if any - more authentic examples of this highly
collectable modern classic. This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to purchase perhaps the lowest mileage Z8 in
existence.
Please note that this lot is currently on display at CARS in
Chobham at Alpha 319 Chobham Business Centre, Chertsey Road,
Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8JB and can be viewed on appointment on
Thursday October 29th and Friday October 30th between 9am and 5pm.
Please contact our office at
+44 (0) 20 7851 7070 or email
Britta Buchmann at
[email protected] to
secure your appointment. Should you want more information on this
lot, feel free to email
[email protected]To view
this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please
visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf20.