Bye Bye BMW Z8 and M5

The successful career of two sophisticated and sporty BMW models is drawing to an end as production of both the classic Z8 Roadster and the high-performance M5 Sedan is soon to be discontinued. At the end of June 2003 the very last batch of these performance cars will leave the manufacturing plants at Munich and Dingolfing.

Film hero James Bond and his action movie "The World Is Not Enough" brought worldwide acclaim to the Z8, and during the three years in which it was produced, it captivated around 5,700 customers worldwide. The open two-seater Z8, currently priced at $132,195, was popular as a collector's car, and now adorns the garages of numerous classic car aficionados.

At least three and a half times as many BMW M5s were produced at the Dingolfing factory: By the time production ceases, around 20,500 of these vehicles will have been manufactured and sold worldwide, making the M5, which was launched in the autumn of 1998, not only the first of its kind in the high-performance Sedan segment, but also the most successful, garnering an assortment of automotive awards over its lifetime.

While 2,100 of the first-generation M5s were hand-built between 1984 and 1987, the second generation was able to continue the success story with 12,000 vehicles manufactured from 1988 to 1995. The integration of the current M5 model (currently priced at $71,095) into series production of the 5 Series at the Dingolfing plant, made it possible to produce more than 20,000 units of this four-seat sport sedan.

As well as having similar sporting characteristics, the M5 and the Z8 have one other special thing in common: they both benefited from the same power unit. Their identical 5-liter, high-revving V-8 engine delivers 394 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. When shifting through the six-speed manual gearbox quickly, the M5 accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Being built almost entirely of aluminum, the slightly lighter Z8 does this classic sprint in a mere 4.7 seconds.

Consider yourself warned: if you're lusting after one of these vehicles, time and supplies are running out. Best hop over to your BMW to check on availability.