| Like it or not, James Bond has switched to a German car. He may
still drive an Aston for pleasure, but during work he uses strictly products
with the spinning prop. Yet the first two pairings were not that
impressive. 007 didn't look sophisticated driving around in the diminutive
Z3. And did he really need a fully-armed 750i just to get out of
a parking garage?
All that's about to change, for BMW is now launching its big roadster
named the Z8. This is much better. The main attraction here
is the Z8's 400-bhp 5 liter V8, borrowed from the new M5. It's a
true powerhouse, churning out exactly 400 bhp and 500 Nm. BMW's double-VANOS
variable-valve timing is incorporated and works on all four camshafts.
The engine is mounted as far back in the chassis as possible, to help give
the Z8 the ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution.
The large engine in the front dictates a long-hood, short-tail look
in the classic-roadster tradition. It looks quite different from
the Z3, which is a relief. There is no standard BMW four-eyes headlamp
cluster surrounding a hood-descending double-kidney, for instance.
Instead the headlamps (xenon, of course) are faired into the front fender
bulges. The chrome twin kidney grille is widened to encompass two
driving lights. Call it retro or homage-design, but it's a deliberate
contrast from the aerodynamically designed noses of current supercars like
the Ferrari 360 or McLaren F1. The front fenders flow backwards almost
in a straight line into the top of the doors and into the rear fenders,
where the line bulges and tapers backwards. Side vents are incorporated
into the car, a styling cue from the Z8's forebear, the 1956-59 507 roadster.
The rear though looks futuristic, with its mail-slot strip of taillights.
Exhausts pop out from the rear bumper like twin cannons.
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| The vertical shark-like
gill vents on the sides of the Z3 and now the Z8 actually came from the
same source: the 1956 BMW 507 roadster. |
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| What happens when Volkswagen
decided to go retro on the Beetle? BMW follows suit with their roadster
for the new millenium: the 400-bhp Z8. |
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| Released years before
the Z8, this BMW 507 showcar showed the press on how the new Z8 would look
like. In comparison, the two don't look that different. It means that the
general public gave their thumbs up to its design. However, take note of
the bulge behind the driver, that's actually a design cue from racing cars
of the 60s. |
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| This is the coupe version
of the show car, though the variation between this and the roadster aren't
much, it's worth noticing that the tail lamp design has been retained for
the production car. The Dodge Viper-like bubble roof could have been a
nice touch on a future coupe version though... |
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