Under the Hood: BMW Z8

Only one BMW has ever been the hero's car in a James Bond film. That car is the BMW Z8. It's a lot more obscure than it's Z-car colleagues, the funky-doored Z1, exquisite Z3 and veteran Z4. The Z8 had a long gestation, spending six years under development. Technically, it was a homage to the BMW 507 from the 1950s and evoked many design elements of the 507.

Motor Trend in the USA achieved a 0-60 figure of 4.2 seconds, and while the top speed was limited to 155mph, with the software removed it could hit 180. Car and Driver found the car outperformed the Ferrari of the day (the 360 Modena) in acceleration, handling and braking.

The Z8 was also released as a tuned version by Alpina, with less power, more torque and a higher top speed of 161mph (still electronically limited, though). The Bertone Birusa concept car (pictured below) was also based on the Z8. The Z8 has featured in MotoGP as the safety car, and in the Bond film The World Is Not Enough. In games, it appears in titles such as Forza Motorsport, Top Drives (B-20), 007 Racing (a game centered around Bond cars) and Forza Horizon 4 (as the James Bond Edition BMW Z8). 5,700 Z8s were built over four years.