• Offered from The Carrera Collection
• A sparingly used specimen of BMW’s famous retro-modern millennium roadster
• Presented in archetypical Titanium Silver Metallic over all-black nappa leather
• US-market example, imported to Switzerland in June 2007
• Offered with a hard-top roof

The 1990s arguably yielded many of the most iconic cars to wear a BMW badge in the modern era, including those within the Z Series. So named for the German word for “future”, earlier models such as the Z1 and Z3 hinted at the bold ideas BMW bosses reserved for its line of roadsters.

The BMW Z8 began life as an audacious concept which intended to pay homage to its legendary open-top ancestor, the 507 Roadster. The design brief had been completed by Henrik Fisker, who later went on to style the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage. The Z8 was ready for customers by 1999, the same year the car was deftly exhibited as a technological marvel as James Bond’s car in the 1999 film, The World Is Not Enough.

Featuring an aluminium spaceframe chassis and body, the Z8 utilizes the same 5.0-litre “S62” engine fitted to the contemporary M5 saloon. Its potent 394 brake horsepower capability propels the lightweight Z8 to 100 km/h in a little over four seconds, and 0-to-160 km/h-to-0 in a mere 14.5 seconds. The Z8’s dynamic performance is similarly impressive, as its ultra-stiff stressed-skin chassis affords the car a level of grip through corners comparable to the then class-leading Ferrari 360 Modena.

Despite boasting features such as traction control, stability control, airbags and GPS navigation, none were overtly visible in the cockpit, which boasted a body-coloured dashboard—as the 507 had done before—and a centrally mounted instrument cluster, which endows the driver with an unimpeded view of the road ahead.

The handsome Z8 offered here is finished in the model’s de rigueur colour combination of Titanium Silver Metallic over a Black nappa leather interior; it was originally delivered new to the United States on 1 March 2001. It has resided in Switzerland since July 2007, passed through only one additional Swiss owner before it was acquired by The Carrera Collection in November 2013. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer read just 14,480 kilometres, and the BMW is accompanied by a hard-top roof.

Truly one of the most recognizable BMW’s of the 21st century, the Z8 is nothing short of an icon and deserves to be treated as such. Suitable enough for James Bond, the Z8 is an excellent grand tourer and sports car, one that begs to be enjoyed on the open road.

Please note, as this vehicle is stated to have been delivered new to the US market, buyers in European countries are encouraged to investigate the feasibility of road registration prior to bidding.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass dieses Fahrzeug neu in den US-Markt geliefert wurde. Käufern in europäischen Ländern wird empfohlen, vor der Abgabe eines Gebots zu prüfen, ob eine Straßenzulassung möglich ist.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/cc23.