Interesting Used Car Of The Week: 2003 BMW Z8 Alpina

Oh how they all laughed. I am referring to what the press and car enthusiasts said about the BMW Z8 when it was launched back in 1999.

While most were impressed with its Henrik Fisker penned design, many said it wasn’t a real sports car, and at about C$200,000 – thought it was too expensive.

I’m sure all those cynics now wish they had bought one new back then, because Z8 prices are going up and up, and this trend is not going to change for the foreseeable future.

While all Z8’s are considered rare – 5,703 units built for the global market over a four-year production run – the rarest of the breed was the Alpina version, with just 555 units made.

Alpina, which is very well-known for modifying BMWs, wanted to change the character of the Z8. Knowing that it wasn’t a proper supercar or sports car, Alpina decided to make this two-seat roadster into a grand touring car.

So, while the BMW Z8 had a 5.0L V8 that produced 400 hp (taken from the E39 M5) and came with only a six-speed manual gearbox, the Alpina Z8 had a 4.8L V8 that produced just 375 hp. Alpina also replaced the gearbox, and offered their Z8 with a five-speed ZF automatic transmission. As Jeremy Clarkson once said, “this must be the first ever tuned car that is slower than the original.”

It might be slower, but with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.0 seconds, and a top speed of 250 km/h, it is still plenty fast enough. However, thanks to Alpina’s tuning, the Z8 had become a more relaxed, boulevard cruiser, a role it seems it was born to play.

The Alpina version also got a nicer, re-trimmed interior (just look at those lovely blue dials on the dashboard), and fancier alloy wheels.

The car featured here today is very lovely indeed. This black on red example has covered just 2,754 miles, and looks to be in new condition.

The asking price is US$378,900 – see, it would have been worth buying when it was new, in just over a decade, it’s worth twice as much.

You can check out more info on this car through >>>this link<<<. Also, this dealer has quite a few Z8’s, so if you like these cars, you’ll like their inventory.