BMW Z8
The BMW Z8 is a roadster produced by German automaker BMW from 1999 to 2003. It was given the E52 BMW model code.
The Z8 was the production variant of the 1997 Z07 concept car. The car design was the effort of a design team led by Chris Bangle. The exterior was designed by Henrik Fisker and the interior by Scotty Lempert. The Z07 originally was designed as a styling exercise intended to evoke and celebrate the 1956-'59 BMW 507 and to celebrate the millennium change. The Z07 caused a sensation at the '97 Tokyo Auto Show. The overwhelming popularity of the concept spurred BMW's decision to produce a limited production model called the Z8. There were 5,703 Z8s built, 3,160 in ECE and 2,543 in US outfit.
From concept to production
The original Z07 had been designed with production in mind. As a result, practical and regulatory considerations necessitated very few changes for the production model. Nevertheless, the windshield of the Z8 was extended upward, and a larger front airdam was fitted. Both changes were implemented to provide aerodynamic stability and a reasonably placid cockpit environment. The four-spoke steering wheel of the concept car was replaced by a three spoke design. The hardtop was changed from a double-bubble form with a tapering faring to a single dome with a truncated convex backside. The concept's exotic driver's side helmet fairing was eliminated to allow easy operation of the power soft top.
