Which BMW Z8 Version Should You Buy?
The BMW Z8 catalogue data presents a straightforward choice: there is one generation, one Cabrio body style, and one version, the 4.9 MT. Produced from June 2000 through June 2003, this version combines a 4,941 cc Gasoline engine with 400 hp, 500 Nm, a 6-speed Manual gearbox, and RWD.
The BMW Z8 catalogue data presents a straightforward choice: there is one generation, one Cabrio body style, and one version, the 4.9 MT. Produced from June 2000 through June 2003, this version combines a 4,941 cc Gasoline engine with 400 hp, 500 Nm, a 6-speed Manual gearbox, and RWD. Because no alternative engine, transmission, body, or generation appears in the supplied data, choosing a Z8 is less about comparing versions and more about deciding whether the specifications of the sole 4.9 MT suit your priorities.
BMW Z8 generations and version choice
The BMW Z8 has 1 generation in the catalogue. The 1 generation ran from June 2000 to June 2003 and was offered as a Cabrio with 1 version, named exactly 4.9 MT.
There is therefore no data-based comparison between multiple generations or restylings. The catalogue also provides no alternative version for individual production years within this period. A buyer considering a car from the beginning or end of the production run should not infer mechanical differences from the year alone: throughout the supplied data, the relevant choice remains the same 4.9 MT specification.
The data does not contain an Alpina version, so the BMW Z8 Alpina cannot be compared with the 4.9 MT here. Production numbers are also not measured. Prices, original MSRP, present market value, and cars for sale are not measured, so this catalogue cannot determine whether one example offers better value than another.
BMW Z8 engine specs
The 4.9 MT uses a 4,941 cc Gasoline engine with 8 cylinders in a V-shaped layout. The engine is mounted Front, longitudinal and has 4 valves per cylinder. Boost is listed as No, while the fuel system is Distributed injection (multi-point). Output is 400 hp at 6,600 rpm and 294 kW, with 500 Nm at 3,800 rpm.
Based on the supplied figures, the engine produces approximately 80.96 hp per litre and 101.19 Nm per litre. Those calculated ratios help describe what the only available version delivers from its displacement, but they do not create a comparison with another Z8 engine because no second engine is listed.
| Version | Power | Torque | Displacement | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 MT | 400 hp | 500 Nm | 4,941 cc | Gasoline | 8 | V-shaped | No | 6-speed Manual | RWD |
The compression ratio is 11, and the bore and stroke are 94 × 89. The specified fuel is 98. The engine code, engine-bay details, engine sound, and replacement-engine availability are not measured.
BMW Z8 performance, fuel consumption, and economy
The 4.9 MT accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and has a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Because it is the only listed version, it is simultaneously the quickest and slowest BMW Z8 in this dataset; there is no second specification against which to calculate an acceleration or top-speed advantage.
Fuel consumption for the 4.9 MT is 21.2 l/100 km in the city, 10.6 l/100 km on the highway, and 14.5 l/100 km combined. City consumption is exactly 10.6 l/100 km higher than highway consumption. Combined consumption sits 3.9 l/100 km above the highway figure and 6.7 l/100 km below the city figure.
CO₂ emissions are not measured, and the environmental class is not measured. These missing values should matter to anyone trying to compare registration costs or emissions performance, since the supplied specifications do not support such a comparison.
BMW Z8 weight, dimensions, and wheels
The BMW Z8 4.9 MT has a kerb weight of 1,590 kg and a gross weight of 1,900 kg, a difference of 310 kg. Its calculated power-to-weight ratio is approximately 251.57 hp per tonne at kerb weight, or 3.98 kg per horsepower. Calculated at gross weight, the figures become approximately 210.53 hp per tonne and 4.75 kg per horsepower.
Ground clearance is 118 mm, and the fuel tank holds 73 litres. The listed wheel sizes are 245/45 R18 and 275/40 R18. The front suspension is Independent, spring, and the rear suspension is also Independent, spring. Braking equipment consists of Ventilated disc brakes at the front and Disc brakes at the rear.
Overall exterior length, width, height, wheelbase, and weight distribution are not measured. The dataset therefore supports a precise weight comparison but not a complete BMW Z8 dimensions or size comparison.
Which BMW Z8 version should you choose?
Choose the 4.9 MT if you want the BMW Z8 specification represented in this catalogue: a Cabrio with a 4,941 cc Gasoline engine, 400 hp, 500 Nm, a 6-speed Manual gearbox, and RWD. Its central numerical case is clear—4.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, a 250 km/h maximum speed, and a kerb-weight ratio of approximately 3.98 kg per horsepower.
There is no lower-powered, lighter, more economical, Automatic, or AWD version in the supplied data. Consequently, there is no data-backed “best engine” or “best trim” ranking to construct. The 4.9 MT is the only catalogue choice rather than the winner of a multi-version comparison.
What extra money buys cannot be calculated because price, MSRP, and sale information are not measured. Likewise, the catalogue cannot recommend one production year over another: it lists the same single version across the June 2000–June 2003 generation and provides no year-specific changes.
For a buyer comparing individual cars, the deciding factors will need to come from information outside this dataset, such as condition or history. On the specifications supplied here alone, the buying decision is simple: accept the performance, fuel consumption, Manual gearbox, and RWD configuration of the 4.9 MT, or look beyond this catalogue entry for a different kind of car.