Unless you are going for a boulevard cruiser, stay away from this. Great vehicle, but handling isn't the greatest. BMW didn't pull the plug on it for no reason. Alpina couldn't even get it right. Putting a Steptronic in that thing instead of a proper manual transmission? Not to mention removing the S62 in favor of a lesser BMW V8. What were they thinking?
I am not discounting just HOW great this automobile really is. But most people that have them just sit on them. Yes it is emerging as a collectible vehicle, but seriously... buy it to drive it not garage it. If anyone has gotten the most recent Roundel then you will recognize that this thread comes as some coincidence as the Z8 is beginning to show as one of the 10 most sought after collectible vehicles. Generally speaking, anything that bares that wonderful "M" badge or some of that swagger and technology/ powerplant then it is destined to be wanted by Bimmerphiles like us.
I can recommend BMW Z8 as an excellent starting point. Educate yourself about the car as much as possible, including a number of issues to look carefully into when buying a Z8.
I think the comment about performance, BMWs decision to make the Alpina the way they did, or decision to pull the plug are hearsay that can be traced back to Jeremy Clarkson's review of the car -- for whatever that's worth.
A well kept Z8 with a clean history is both a good investment (as far as cars go) and a joy to own/drive.
Good luck, IMO its one of the cars I would swap out the M5 for, I love the S62 engine and feel. As far as performance goes, if you are that displeased with it, then you go and get yourself an M3 for a garage mate.
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