BMW Z8
Why 4.3: The S62 V8 shared with the E39 M5, a proper 6-speed manual, and Bond-movie fame — but the aluminum spaceframe was tuned for boulevard comfort, not lap times. Low production (5,703) and rising values mean most examples log fewer than 1,000 miles a year.
Layout
Natural habitat
Ride comfort
Sound
The S62 from the E39 M5, individual throttle bodies and all, with the roof down and nothing overhead. It is capped by a deliberately soft silencer and 6,600 rpm; BMW tuned this one for cruising. A very good V8 held back by its manners.
8-cylinder · naturally aspirated · 6,600 rpm redline · rated 7.5 / 10 for engine sound
Market value
Median asking price, good condition · €118k (2000) → €239k (2026), trending up · illustrative data
Child seats · ISOFIX
There aren't any — strict two-seater.
Predates any BMW ISOFIX provision (2000-2003) — belt-only front seats.
Pure two-seat roadster — no rear seats of any kind, just a small parcel shelf behind the seats.
BMW Z8 (E52) two-seat roadster body configuration (owner-community sourced, not manufacturer documentation)
The long version
This was BMW's answer to the question of what a modern 507 should look like, and the retro styling did exactly what it was supposed to: it turned the car into an instant collectible rather than a used sports car, which is not usually great for actual mileage. James Bond driving one in the opening minutes of a 1999 film only accelerated the trophy-shelf instinct. Values dipped through the 2000s like every other early-2000s exotic before climbing hard over the last decade, and the manual-only, V8-powered spaceframe underneath rarely gets asked to do anything more athletic than a Sunday cruise.