The M4 CSL took 40% of the vote, with the regular and CS versions each splitting 30. Chances are, if you want a special BMW nothing will change your mind, so this week let’s take a look at the most special of all – the BMW Z8. Prices are coming down, so maybe now’s the time?
The 2002 BMW Z8 vs the 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish
What if I parked this BMW Z8 next to an Aston Martin Vanquish, then removed the badges? Yea, pretty similar, right? Seems a bit odd, but Henrik Fisker, the man responsible for the design of the Z8, left BMW in 2001 to become the head of design at Aston Martin.
Nope – he didn’t design the Vanquish, Ian Callum did. Fisker would go on to design other Astons like the DB9, but I dunno – all seems a bit incestuous, you know? Why does this Z8 look like a classic British car?
Perhaps because it was meant to evoke the classic BMW 507, itself a car meant to fill the gap between a Mercedes 300SL and lowly British Triumphs and MGs. Lift up the Z8’s skirt, and you’ll find the running gear of an E39 M5 – not a bad thing by any means, but it’s weird to pin a roadster on the platform of a sedan. 2,543 were built over six years for the American market, so it’s not exactly rare either.
Against it, we have a car worth less than half as much, but is arguably more exotic. How about a V-12? How about just 1,400 being produced in that same six-year time span? Despite that, the car can’t hold its value. Let’s find out why.
The 2002 BMW Z8
I have to admit, this is a pretty sweet example.
- 28,000 miles
- Topaz Blue Metallic over Crema, a stunning a very rare combo
- But some red flags, like ALPINA wheels. Why? Leave it alone.
- Or worse, a Supersprint exhaust, hi-flo cats and a strut tower brace? Are we going racing in this? At least the factory parts can be included.
- Clean CarFax
- Six-speed manual, the only way they came (not the ALPINA, that was auto-only).
- The 4.8-liter S62 V-8 is here, rated at 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.
- Current bid: $169,169
How much is the new BMW Z8?
When this car was released in 1998, it had an MSRP of $128,000 – that’s equal to $250,000 today. They sell for an average of $211,000 according to Classic.com, but recently the price has been dipping well below $200k. This is a tough example to guess because of the color and bad mods, but it was listed in December for $265k – that’s way too much.
Do you even need one of these?
The 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish
Yea yea – this is a shitbox Ford, with a V-12 born from a night of passion between two Ford Taurus V-6 engines. That’s actually a myth – they hardly share any parts, but hey man, that’s what I heard on the playground, okay?
- 20,000 miles
- Gold over Kestrel Tan. It’s not for me.
- CarFax says this was hit in 2007
- Meant to compete with Ferrari’s 550 Marenello, it looks the business in some colors.
- 5.9-liter V12, rated at 460 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.
- Six-speed automated manual, so a manual without a clutch. Should be nice and smooth…
- The only mod is a set of ugly 20-inch Vellano wheels
- No real wear and tear, though the tires need to be replaced.
- Bid to $20,000 so far.
How much is a 2003 Aston Martin Vanquish?
Going back to Classic.com, right now the average price for one of these is $65,000. There was also an “S” version made later, and that can creep into the six figures.
If I look though Cars & Bids, I see a few that have some for less than $50,000. That feels like a great deal for a car with a V-12, an exotic badge, and similar looks to the Z8. Is it as nice inside? No way – it definitely looks the part from the era it was made. Is it as nice to drive as the Z8? Again, nope.
But you could potentially buy four of these for one of those.
Four + four = 8?
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