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BMW Z8 @ The 1999 London Motor Show

by Shane O' Donoghue / Mark Sims

(BMW press release)
BMW Z8 - THE CAR FOR SECRET AGENTS EVERYWHERE
On view for the first time ever in Britain, the BMW Z8 makes its debut at the London Motorshow this year. This open-top, two seater roadster owes much of its styling to the classic sports car, but under the skin bristles with the latest technology and is powered by a 5.0 litre, 400 bhp V8 engine. Its appearance in London is timely as the Z8 will star as James Bond's car in the latest 007 film, The World Is Not Enough, which premieres in Leicester Square on 22 November.

BMW may struggle to sell the Z8 - the price is high.

Styling and design
The BMW Z8 has the proportions of a classic roadster - long bonnet, tapered tail, short overhangs front and rear and a strictly two-seater cockpit. The look of the car, with its shark's gills side air vents, unmistakable front kidney grille and luxurious curves are strongly reminiscent of the classic 1950s sports car, the BMW 507, which has been hailed as one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

The body of the Z8 is a monocoque construction using an aluminium space frame and body panels. This design was chosen for its combination of excellent torsional rigidity and outstanding crash performance. Extra benefits are weight reduction and corrosion protection. On the inside, the styling theme continues with sumptuous leather and tooled aluminium switches and levers. The engine starts at the touch of a button and the main instruments are located centrally on the dashboard so the driver's view is not obstructed. The equipment level is as generous as you would expect.

There is nothing old fashioned about the safety features in this cockpit though. Both driver and passenger have front and side airbags, the passenger system combined with a seat occupancy detector - like all BMWs. Pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners are also fitted, as is a roll-over safety system.

Under the bonnet
Here lurks a truly remarkable engine. Shared with the BMW M5 sports saloon, this 5.0 litre V8 power unit develops 400 bhp and 500 Nm (369 lb ft) of torque - and it is the torque figure which gives the car its staggering performance. The peak is reached at just 3800 rpm, but even at 1200 rpm - which is just above tick-over - there is already 400 Nm (289 lb ft) available.

This degree of engine flexibility gives outstanding performance on the road in any of the six gears. The sprint to 62 mph takes just 4.7 seconds and fourth gear will take you from 50 to 75 mph in 4.3 seconds. Maximum speed is limited to 155 mph, which is reached easily. Without this electronic system the car would approach 180 mph.

Technical highlights of this engine include BMW's double VANOS variable valve timing system, for maximum performance with minimal emissions at all engine speeds, and a special oil scavenging system. The latter ensures that all engine components are supplied with oil even under the extreme lateral g forces, which this car generates when cornering hard. The electronic engine control unit is able to make more than one million instructions per second - a figure which is comparable to F1 technology.

Handling the power
It takes a special drive train and chassis to transmit this power to the road safely. The suspension is largely of aluminium construction, to help reduce unsprung weight, with a strut and coil arrangement at the front, with strut control arms and thrust rods. At the rear is a multi-link system with four linkage arms. Wheels are aluminium too, with an 18 inch diameter, shod with 245/45 run-flat tyres at the front and 275/40 at the rear.

The Z8 is beautiful, and will be packed full of technology

To help channel the prodigious power to the road safely is the full array of BMW's electronic driving stability aids. Cornering Brake Control (CBC) allows the driver to brake more safely in a bend, reducing the risk of a spin, and the third generation of BMW's Dynamic Stability Control system (DSC III) gives maximum traction at all times, by eliminating wheel spin or lock-up.

Like all BMWs, the Z8 has a near perfect 50:50 weight balance to give the car natural poise through corners. And when it's time to stop in a hurry, the high-performance, compound disc brakes will bring the car to a standstill from 62 mph in just 2.5 seconds. So the Z8 can accelerate from zero to 62 mph and come back to a halt in just 7.2 seconds.

The name's Bond
Over the years James Bond has driven some of the most exotic and desirable high performance sports cars in the world, so the Z8 was a natural choice for the next 007 film "The World Is Not Enough". Shot at Pinewood studios and on location in London, Turkey, Spain and the French Alps, the film will debut in London's Leicester Square on 22 November this year. Joining Pierce Brosnan in the title role are Sophie Marceau, who played opposite Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Robert Carlyle from Trainspotting and The Full Monty, as the baddie Renard and Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Zukovsky. Judi Dench plays "M", Desmond Llewelyn appears once again as gadget expert "Q" and this time with a new assistant, played by John Cleese.

Z8 in the UK
Although the Z8 will only be available in left hand drive, it will be launched in Britain next spring and sold through the BMW dealer network, but numbers will be restricted. Sales will be limited to around 75 cars in 2000 and the price is yet to be announced.

Managing Director of BMW (GB), Kevin Gaskell commented, "The Z8 is a stunning car to look at and to drive and although we do not expect to sell huge numbers in Britain, it is an important flagship model for the brand. It encapsulates the essence of BMW, offering owners the ultimate driving experience in a high performance sports car of peerless quality, equipped with the latest technology. And with a high profile debut in the new Bond film, its launch could hardly have more impact."

Read more about the Bond movie and BMW's involvement here

Back to BMW @ The 1999 London Motor Show

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