Spotted a BMW Z8 Alpina at MINI of Sterling this morning - it looked like it was waiting to be picked up (i.e. just sold). I've never seen one in person before, only 450 of them in the USA (out of 555 worldwide). Very, very nice... too bad I couldn't get a test drive. I'm sure I would have been all over the place!

 

Do you mean outside in that little area where you pull up and give the guy your keys? If so, its been there every time I have been there (which is like about three times). Maybe it belongs to someone there. Hard to miss the Alpina badge.

 

Yep, that's the space... they use that space for cars about to be picked up, so I'm surprised it would be there very day. Maybe they park it there because it's the only undercover parking they have (other than the showroom).

I hadn't noticed it before today - I'll have to ask when I go back whose it is - it's probably Mr. Moorehead's! The license plate says "ULTIMATE" or something like that.

 

OK, I have seen that car there before. Last time was, hmm, must be September, 05. Wife saw it too and new immediately it was not anything OEM.

 

Is the Alpina different than the regular Z8 roadster? I love the Z8 roadster. There was a guy who had one where I used to live and I would see it around town from time to time. Never got tired of looking at that car!

 

Hence the name "alpinamike"

They mad the first Alpina Z8 after 3 years making the regular Z8 after the James Bond film came out. It is mostly the same other then the rims, badges, and the engine work with bumped it 7 HP's . They wanted to give the Z8 a more race heritage and use the old supplier of BMW/Proformance parts other then making it a M, so it is one of a kind, I like the alpina rims better then on the first generation Z8's
Now all are alpina.

We can get the rims for the MINI but BMW has not pushed the MINI/Alpina connection, I think it was not cost effective.

 

very good looking car, but i like the old better due to the fact the alpina was made into an automatic with no manual available.

I like it better with a manual and no automatic available.

but that's just me.

 

The Alpina came in an automatic only and the engine was based on the 4.4 V8. While the original Z8 were manual and had the M5 engines.

I drove the original a few years ago and its a Sweet car. The car is a piece of art.

 

I didn't realize the Alpina version went backwards with automatic... my opinion of Alpina has just lowered somewhat. I'd prefer an original Z8 on that basis alone! Still, it was cool to see such a rare car in person.

 

i'm gonna out myself socioeconomically a bit here, but my dad has an original Z8, and it is by a wide margin my favorite car i've ever driven. the engine and transmission are an incredibly sweet pair, and the view down the long hood, with the short deck... damn.

it's not quite as sharp-turn nimble as i'd like (i do drive a MINI after all) but accelerating through a sweeper on a country road on a sunny summer day... the best.

 

An automatic? I guess for people who never had the opportunity to learn how to drive a stick, but I can't see buying a, relatively costly, sports car as an automatic. No offense meant to people who are stick shift challenged.