BMW Z8

The BMW Z8, a stylish car produced by BMW from 1999 to 2003, was featured in the James Bond movie “The World is Not Enough.” This film stars Pierce Brosnan as Bond, who drives the Z8 with license plate V354 FMP, loaded with all the typical Bond-style upgrades from Q-branch. The car is equipped with titanium plating and armor, air-to-ground missiles, a remote control keychain, an infra-red tracking system, a high-sensitivity listening device, and even cup holders, as pointed out by R (John Cleese). Despite its impressive features, the Z8 is not heavily featured in the film and is ultimately cut in half by a helicopter with a large saw.

At the time of filming, BMW only had a prototype shell and running test car, so they provided the Pinewood Studios Propshop with the shell and designs to create replica kit cars for the film. The bodywork was molded from the BMW prototype and made in two pieces to eliminate gaps in the hood and trunk. The team had only eight weeks to build the car, so any unnecessary extras were removed. In total, two kit cars and one shell were made for the film, with one surviving car currently on display at the London Film Museum.

The BMW Z8 boasts an all-aluminum chassis and body, with a 5.0-liter, 400 horsepower V8 S62 engine built by the BMW Motorsports subsidiary. This car could reach 0 to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds. With a price tag of $130,000, ordering and taking delivery of the Z8 was an unforgettable experience. BMW offered scale models and handmade books to owners while they awaited delivery, and they could choose to take delivery at BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany, where they could watch the final assembly of their car and take a tour of the assembly area. Alternatively, they could take delivery at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where they would receive a special driving course.