Z3 to Z4 to Z4 to Z8

C

CliveN

Active member
Life is passing me by far too quickly - already 8 years into retirement. I am therefore proceeding with my final bucket list purchase. I am getting a Z8. It’s a marmite car so I am not seeking views. But the process is hard as there is no perfect car out there. They are either £220k plus with low miles, with all stuff including “the book” but still not perfect underneath and clearly stored all their life. Or mid-price (£170k) and mid miles but still with patchy history and rarely complete. I have found one which is great but it has no hard top for example. Or the circa £150k car which have moonshot mileages in Z8 terms (eg circa 70000 miles) but has a good history, has all the bits (but not the book) and is very tidy all round. And I have been looking for three years. The prices on Autotrader are inflated, collecting cars gives a more accurate value.

I waver between spending the full monty on the perfect one (a perfect super low miles Topaz blue went from collecting cars at £245k), or getting one without a hard top but only 17000 miles and used regularly (eg never stored) or bashing around in an equally regularly used higher miler - both for £160k ish each). Not least because I intend to use it in Spain. It’s not an investment per se. But I don’t want to lose my trousers.Have a look at the one currently being advertised by Sytner Nottingham. It’s all there and it’s approved used….

What would you do?

Ps don’t say buy a DB9 and save £120k! I don’t understood why Z8 is so expensive either….
 
As a final rider this will mean at some point a whittling down of the fleet. My feeling is for my E89 3.0i but SWMBO loves it; the alternative is my Z4M but that is just going into the workshop to have John-E89’s aero sills fitted and I haven’t had it long enough……we will see
 
CliveN said:
What would you do?
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No idea, as I am not in a position to spunk £200k on any car (or anything) TBH.

But if I did have £200k spare I definitely wouldn't buy a Z8. Just don't see the point in them at the sort of money they command. They are expensive because they are rare. They are rare because they were stupid money when new. And they have become collector's cars because they are rare and expensive. Don't get it TBH.
 
Go for it!
Hated them when they came out,but they have aged well in my eyes and I now think they look fantastic.V8 is the icing on the cake
 
Go for it! I would be tempted by the cheaper one without the hard top if you are going to use it regularly. Look forward to seeing what you end up with 👍
 
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I’d get one on condition and history, mid miles rather than paying the max for a super low miles. Otherwise you’ll just lose more as you do actually use it. Can you buy the book pack from bmw still?
Never see the point in a hard top either. You’ll need to store it, may not be an issue. Or if it’s on the car and the sun comes out you can’t then put the roof down. Will you be using it in adverse weather? Will it be garaged presumably?
 
I'd have the one with the least number of owners and the most miles. That way it'll have been shaken down and used and probably treated better than ones that have been through many hands and only pass as museum pieces sitting unused in a garage.

I don't think Z8s will be mileage sensitive like Ferraris so another 50k on the 70k one won't make too much odds if you look after it. And if you're going to pop off before you sell it, it's irrelevant. And, 70k in 25 years is bugger all miles per year.

I like the Z8 but, if it was me, I'd probably just buy several E85s - a good one, one or two for bits and one for someone to fit a 4.8 V8 in! That way there's none of this cachet bollox about books and "heritage" and pretending that it's something other than a form of transport. You can thrash the life out of it and genuinely enjoy it without pondering if you're affecting the value or whether people are looking down their noses - I find the whole world of endlessly serviced but never driven Ferraris hilariously awful.
 
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Wow, just wow. I'd like to state for the record that I live on peanuts, and it's created thrift.

Are you going to use it? Is money no major issue?

If yes/no. get the £160k car. If you don't care then get what you think is right for you. If no/yes then get the garage queen.

Hopefully you're going to use it, so spend a few quid on a couple of go-pro cameras and give us a YouTube treat please (put one by the exhaust. Maybe the other in the engine bay?)

Kudos. 👏👏👏
 
If youre planning on actually using it, id buy the cheapest 70,000 miles one. Putting 20k on it won't devalue it as much as putting 20k on a garage queen.

Plus the 70,000 miles one you have more assurance that its been used and will continue to work. And the £70k saved pays for a lot of eurotrips and maintenance if required.

Isn't a z8 just some kind of m5 in a posh frock?
 
If I was planning to use it I wouldn't buy a garage queen because of the hit the value would take by putting miles on it - unless that isn't an issue for you.

But then 70K is hardly high mileage after all for a car of that age, it just means it has been driven.

Probably all boils down to your personal preference at the end of the day.

Saying a Z8 is an M5 in a posh frock is like calling an E85/86 a 3 Series in a posh frock - there's more to it than that.

I think the Z8 looks fantastic FWIW, and they to be able to rack up some miles. I saw this one at a local car meet in 2021 and it had done nearly 100K with the one owner from new, although it was starting to look a bit tired in places.

Z8.jpg

When you do get one I hope you'll take it to Zedfest!
 
Mr Tidy said:
I saw this one at a local car meet in 2021 and it had done nearly 100K with the one owner from new, although it was starting to look a bit tired in places.
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I would much rather have the Rover P5 in the background.
At least that will have the steering wheel on the correct side. And be a LOT cheaper.
Maybe it's my age?
 
Lovely cars IMO. And even if I didn't think that, I wouldn't want to rain on your parade with my meaningless opinions.

Talking of meaningless opinions... I echo brillomaster in that I'd personally rather get the good condition, but used car - something I can enjoy without worrying about ruining it's low mileage/garage queen status, and something that will suffer less of a financial impact due to being enjoyed for the car it is.

I also feel (but can't substantiate) you'll get less issues from a car that is frequently used/road tripped, rather than one that limps to an annual MOT/service and back and is quietly dry rotting all it's rubber parts.
 
The Sytner model srikes a good balance for me, and if everything is as they say, that is the one I would go for. The quality that went into making these cars is evident. The small details are exquisitely made and I can hear you say, Ahh with a big smile as you sit behind the wheel. You're mind is made up, get it and love it.
 
Agree with the above comment, this example appears to have been well cared for, loved and used. Plus I can't recall the last one I saw with a black interior, dash, etc, again looks in VGC. As stated life's too quick, too short and I always think you regret the decisions you don't make rather than the ones you do. Good luck with your search and decision!
 
They are gorgeous and such a design classic, good for you I say. The Sytner one, as BeeEmm states seems like a balanced buy.
 
Pondy said:
I would much rather have the Rover P5 in the background.
At least that will have the steering wheel on the correct side. And be a LOT cheaper.
Maybe it's my age?
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There are likely dozens of cars id rather have than a z8. But that wasn't the question...

Also... questioning someones choice of weird, expensive car when you drive a fauxrarri? glass houses...
 
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I am astounded and rather chuffed by the replies. Thanks guys. Okay I suspected I might get a few brickbats about spending £200k on a car let alone a z8. As most people might realise, you can get a nice Series 1 E type 4.2 AND a McLaren 570s for the same money. But one is old and one is often a money pit.

So a Z8 it is. Always wanted one, will now get one. Truth be told, it’s viable as I have the money and it seems likely that I will inherit a lot at some time in the future. My thinking is do it now as I could pop my clogs earlier - my mother is a tough old bird! But if I don’t I could sell the car anyway.

I am lucky (or not) to have two super low mileage garage queens and I REALLY don’t want another. So the intention here is to have a really nice example but which is usable. And for this reason, and while I will view them, the £200k plus cars with everything will probably not be bought. There are two currently in the U.K. and both have the book (good) but are US imports (less good). But they are silver/red my least favourite colour combo - but it’s less garish in real life. And SWMBO loves it sadly.

Another car has 70000 miles, is a U.K. car and while I have still to be given a video of the soft top up and the underside, it seems clean. It’s silver/black - more appealing to me. And is very usable. It’s one owner.

The last current contender is 17000 miles and UK and silver/red. All great but as I’ve said before lacking in all of the stuff you get with a a Z8 (hard top, lots of paperwork (there’s enough), tool kit, etc). Another good thing is it’s been used every year. Most Z8 sit in a warehouse.

It’s a toss up between these two. What I would really like is a topaz blue/cream example with all of thff etc stuff and say 30009 mikes fit £180k but thin on the ground.

Final bit of factoid stuff on these cars. “The book”. Each car came with its own big hard back book showing its chassis plate coming off the line in Dingolfing. These are routinely missing and cost up to £3500 to buy on EBay - for a book!! Second, z8 interiors don’t last well as owners had them because the just had to, not because they were enthusiasts. Luckily you can still buy everything if you have enough cash. On the other side of the coin, undersides are usually very clean as it’s all aluminium other than the bolts and steering arms.

Finally, the aim is to use this car to go down to Spain every year so 2000 left hand drive miles a year. And while I so so so want a hard top (as it looks nice) the reality is that is sits in a corner in the garage on its stand….. so that’s why I can consider the 17000 miles car if I am being pragmatic. But I still WANT ONE.

Today I will find out if the 70000 miles car passes muster. BTW I have now looked at 10 of these things…..
 
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