bobafett

As you may know, I am about to be M5 no more. i'm currently looking for a daily driver (no Adrian, the 360Spy won't be a daily, nor the vanquish), and while I was considering scaling down to a used 928 or something, i dont want to deal with a used car, etc. The reason i chose the 928 is because i can't scale down to a smaller displacement engine! turbos just don't do it for me and NA power is king! "no replacement.... ").

So my question: do any of you use your z8 as a daily driver? i LOVE the m5 engine and i'd imagine that the z8 would be perfect, but other than engine + tranny, how does owning the car itself fare? a friend said that the leather in the seats get creases easily and the care just doesn't feel right as a daily.

What do you guys think? I'll get over the styling, although all that attention will be annoying. Debadging it won't make a difference here, I'm afraid

--Dan

Erik

Hi There

Soory dont have an Z8 so I cant help you, but I would not mind having one.
I have had 4 laps in the passanger seat on the racetrack and it was FUN.
BTW: You said Vanquish, does that mean that you have an Aston Martin Vanguish in your garage ??? or am I wrong about the name?
If so you are one lucky ba....d

If so please post some pics, that is one hell of a machine, makes the Ferrari looks like a toy car for small girls...


Erik
-------------
AC Schnitzer M Coupe
ALPINA B7 Coupe

bobafett

Vanquish is on order. No one has one yet. And no, it doesn't make the ferrari look like a toy! BELIEVE ME! The ferrari is as clsoe to open-top automotive nirvana as you can come.

--Dan

kgk

A daily driver (DD) has to be fast, practical, able to haul people/booty, and be relativly "stealth."

The Z8 will make a crappy daily driver, as it is too impractical. 1. There is not enough space to put stuff or people. 2. Can you pick up somebody at the airport? Barely! 3. The Z8 will draw too much attention while speeding, i.e., it is not "stealth."

The best DD is certainly the M5---except for the fact that it doesn't come with SMGII, which would enable you to slap it into "DRIVE" when traffic got nasty. If you can't find another M5, then....

I think that you need a E55, a CL55, or some other flavor of Mercedes. These cars go fast, and yet you can slap 'em in "DRIVE" and just toast people, left and right, while having a hand free for that latte (or blonde).

Finally, how could you POSSIBLY go near a Z8 when you have... a Ferrari 360 Spyder?

Even a new M3 would be a far better choice than the Z8.

Erik

Congratts must be difficult to wait.

Do you actually have;
M5 for DD
Ferrari for fun
Vanquish for serious Macho fun when it arrives.

Thats what I would call one hell of an garage

Do you need a Norwegian to work in your garage and take the Aston out for a spin while your are in Automobile nirvana

Your comment about the Ferrari beeing close to automobile nirvana its probably right.
I also like the car but its something about the Macho apperance of the Aston that I really like.

----
KGK

Agree that the Z8 would not be the best DD but I disagree in your choiche of E55 og CL 55, thats a good and fast car, but to my opinion boring and has as much charm as an dishwasher.


The M3 is then a much bitter choice even if it only has 2 doors.

Erik
-------
AC Schnitzer M Coupe RS ( Ferrari killer in the twisties )
ALPINA B7 Coupe

Erik

Beutiful

Thanks for scanning that article off for us less lucky to read.

I particularly like the part that the Z8 pulled away from the 360 from 60 mhp.
I have seen test made by Sport Auto where the 2 cars where identical to 62 mph in 4,6 sek and also identical to 125 in 16,6 sec.

The Z8 is actually one of the most beutiful cars I have ever seen, the pictures dont give it enough credit, you must see it live to really understand the beuty of it.

In Norway er have only 2 Z8 so its not a car that I will se everyday.

BTW have you had any encounters with some domestic "muscle" cars and have you tried it on the track ?


Erik
----------------
AC Schnitzer M Coupe RS
ALPINA B7 Coupe

A_Train

ME is pretty much spot on.

A few other / add'tl points: the trunk space is limited when the top is down b/c that is where the tonneau cover for the top is stored, as is the wind deflector. With the top down, the trunk is good for a weekend getaway, maybe two medium sized suitcases. But if you have to put the top up (and thus store the tonneau cover and deflector), you might have a space problem.

The Z8 feels a bit heavy, but much more agile and light than the M5 (I'd say the M5 needs to lose 500 pounds and the Z8 could lose maybe 200). The Z8 sounds much better, too, and not just due to the top being down. It's like a refined muscle car.

The car will get a lot of attention. I park it almost anywhere, using common sense, except not in parallel parking spots (and park it overnight in a garage). If any "bumper feeler" parkers touch the rear end or especially the nose, you're very likely looking at repair work, or at the very least some scratches.

With the top up, rear-left corner visibility is poor.

I like the car so much better than the M5, but the car serves a very different purpose. And as a daily driver, it's very easy to deal with once you master the 30-second top-up / top-down process.

It's a really good car for someone single without much space / passenger needs.

- A-Train

bobafett

A_train:
I'm in your shoes. The ONLY reason i have 4 doors is because I couldn't get a Maserati 3200GT at the time I got the M5, and nothing compared for awesome power. I *LOVE* the M5 engine.

I have absolutely NO needs to carry more than one person, and if I do, that's what my dad's cars are for Personally, I've never been a Sedan-fan, but at the same time, i love how understated a debadged M5 is. A debadged z8 is just stupid

As far as parking it goes, I only park in 3 places really: home, work, and occasionally school. If I do park @ school, I have my own spots and my buddies are very careful and watchful of my car. No problems there. Almost 75% of my driving is on the freeway, which is why I need the torque

As for windnoise - i drive with the windows down and the sunroof open all the time ANYWAYS, so to have the full on experience would be nice. THe question is, is this a car you can do 120mph everyday and get away with it (no one noticed a black bmw 5 series after it passes them, they'll remember a z8, right?).

also, attention, nope, don't want it. I mean, i can deal with people @ the gas station, but i don't want to have to deal with people rolling down their windows and saying "woah, yeah, way to go" or high-beaming me or the thumbs up (i generally do that to other people tho so im a bit hypocritical.)

In the end, my "needs" are simple: a fast functional car that I can drive everyday. i dont care about the handsfree phone because I use my own cell. I dont care about the dials in the middle, as i'm sure i'd get used to it. A BMW is a DD car, IMHO.

So, does the feel of driving the car outweigh the need to park slightly further away (who cares?), deal with wind noise (who cares?), and learn how to read dials in the middle(who cares)? OH, and all the attention....

Then again, Z8's aren't too uncommon around here. I've seen about a half-dozen myself.

--Dan

PS: I'm not ditching the Spyder for this thing. Spyder is pure fun.

johann

Dan,

From your last replie I make the conclusion that a M3 or M5 would be the ideally DD for you. If you the attention Z8 is not for you.
If really don't want't a sedan get an M3 or an M3 cab. Or have you ever considered a Porsche 996 as your DD?

Cheers,
/Johan

bobafett

Johann: i was never a big porsche fan, and until i got a real ride in greg's car, i thought the 959 was just about the only quality car they produced, and 2nd ot that the 993TT. But WOAH! Greg's car is a BEAST, and yeah, it could be a daily driver.

I haven't considered it seriously, you're right. I'm not an M3 fan. So I guess it's a porsche or an M5? i dunno. i guess stick with the m5?

--Dan