Sun, Jul 14, 2002 page11

• Do you miss the 1950s? BMW wants to bring them back with its new Z8

  • NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE
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  Inspired by a classic roadster of the 1950s, the BMW Z8 stands out from the retro-design pack: it is not simply evocative, it is visually elegant in a modern way. The design has continuity from the sleek nose to the truncated tail and avoids unnecessary embellishment.

  The inspiration for the Z8 was the BMW 507 roadster, of interest both because of its low production -- just 253 were built in 1956-1959 -- and its V8 engine, a rarity in a European car of that period.

  BMW won't say how many Z8s it will produce; 1,600 have been sold in the United States, out of 4,242 worldwide, since the car went on sale here two years ago.

  

  The BMW Z8 roadster was designed to evoke the spirit of the low-production BMW 507 of 1956 to 1959.

  PHOTO: NY TIMES

  The Z8's exceptionally rigid aluminum body and chassis are shared with no other car. The 5-liter all-aluminum V8 engine (four camshafts, 394HP) is shared with the high-performance M5 sedan, and it is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission.

  As you would expect from a car with a sticker price of US$130,645, the list of standard features is long: front and side air bags, electronic stability control, run-flat tires that eliminate the need for a spare, a drive-by-wire electronic throttle with settings for "comfort" and "sport"; stylish and effective xenon headlamps and neon taillights.

  My test car, in "titanium silver metallic" with a red leather interior, was superbly finished; even the underside of the trunk lid was fully carpeted. The trunk was adequate, with space for a pair of golf bags.

  Even better than the Z8's striking appearance is the driving experience.

  The long hood and burbling dual exhaust evoke memories of a wooden speedboat powered by an inboard V8. Acceleration is effortless, and the 368 pounds-feet of torque lets an enthusiastic driver spin the tires in any of the first three gears.

  In a week of driving through the urban sprawl around Phoenix, plus two-lane roads that wind through towns like Carefree, Sedona and Strawberry, the Z8 was always a pleasure. Clearly in its element approaching triple-digit speeds, the car attacked each corner eagerly, almost as if waiting for the driver to go faster. Even when pushed, the Z8 never lost its composure.

  The gearbox shifts smoothly, although sixth gear is an ultra high overdrive that is truly useful only above 130kph.

  The dashboard is intriguing if not entirely successful. Analog gauges, with white retro-look markings on a black background, are mounted in the center -- an inconvenient but stylish placement that recalls the Ferrari Lusso of the early 1960s, a classic now worth more than US$125,000.

  The space in front of the driver, where the instruments would normally be, is disconcertingly bare.

  And I could only judge the 250-watt, 10-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo a total failure, producing the worst sound I have ever experienced in a new car. The bass is badly overboosted even at normal settings.

  When BMW introduced the Z8 in Frankfurt in 1999, it suggested that the car would be a future collectible. Indeed, a few eager collectors paid US$250,000, nearly twice the list price, for some of the first cars that reached the US a year later.

  But street prices have come down considerably, and new cars are now being offered at sticker price.

  Though mostly hand-built, the Z8 will never be as desirable to collectors as the 507.

  Its production numbers are too high and its mechanical components too common.

  Since the Z8 aspires to be an exotic car, one can overlook things like its plastic rear window. In contrast, the Mercedes SL has similar performance with more everyday functionality.

  While the Z8 has style and sensuality, but the Mercedes-Benz 500SL, costing 30 percent less at about US$100,000, is clearly the better value.
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