Model BMW Z8
Engine 4941cc V8, dohc, 32v
Max power 294kW @ 6600rpm
Max torque 500Nm @ 3800rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Weight 1585kg
0-100km/h 4.7sec (claimed)
Economy 14.5L/100km
Price $450,000 (value today)
IN ORDER to understand the BMW Z8, first you need to understand the man behind its genesis, Prof Dr Wolfgang Reitzle. And to understand Reitzle, you need to know two things. The extravagant BMW 8 series was his pet project and his autobiography was called Luxus schafft Wohlstand – Luxury Creates Wealth. A deeply vain, yet fiercely intelligent executive, Reitzle believed he was being primed for coronation to the top job when the man who’d held BMW’s chief executive position for 29 years, Eberhard von Kuenheim, retired in 1993.
To give the aristocratic von Kuenheim a grand send off, BMW arranged a party at the Chateau de la Messardiere in St Tropez in May of that year, attended by senior executives. To underscore the marque’s achievements, it had arranged a display of BMW’s finest cars, amongst them the slinky 507 roadster from 1956. R&D boss Reitzle was captivated by the 507, as was head of production Bernd Pischetsrieder. Together they mulled the prospect of a successor that would appeal to a clientele who turned to Mercedes-Benz or Porsche for their statement roadsters.
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
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This story is from the July 2020 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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