Benjamin M. Monroe Blog: Alpina Z8 Roadster Is Asking for $244,900 to Come Home with You

Monday, August 28, 2017

Alpina Z8 Roadster Is Asking for $244,900 to Come Home with You

One of the most expensive BMWs you can get today is not some brand new 7 Series or an SUV, but rather an older model that definitely aged well. The BMW Z8 is a car that just doesn’t seem to drop in value as time goes by. Instead, the roadster is only getting more expensive and we have collectors to thank for that. But what about the ALPINA version? Is it just as popular and expensive?

Well, if we’re to judge by the car we’re showing you today, it certainly seems so. BMW Z8 models are being sold for close to $200,000 these days but the ALPINA Z8 Roadster we’re looking at here is asking for $244,900. According to the ad, it has 24,572 miles (39,545 km) and judging by the photos posted online, it seems like it was extremely well maintained, the black beauty showing almost no signs of wear.

If you’re interested in owning a piece of BMW history though, and thinking the ALPINA is just as good as the original BMW Z8, you might want to think again. For the Z8, the tuner/manufacturer did quite a lot of changes to the original car, the biggest one being under the hood. The Z8 Roadster models from Buchloe came without the legendary S62 4.9-liter V8 of the E39 M5 that used to animate the stock cars, instead ALPINA going for their own 4.8-liter V8 from their B10 V8 S model which makes less power at 375 HP but more torque from down low.

That was the point too, as the ALPINA people wanted this car to become a proper GT cruiser instead of the sporty open top 2-seater BMW set it up to be. In this regard they also installed a softer suspension and a 5-speed automatic ZF gearbox as potential customers couldn’t be bothered to shift gears themselves. Therefore, as you can already tell, the BMW Z8 and the ALPINA Z8 are two very different cars in reality. Nevertheless, the design is still absolutely brilliant and with just 555 units ever made, this ALPINA Z8 Roadster could turn out to be a good investment later down the line.