BMW Z8 Was Not Enough For 007
The BMW Z8, produced by BMW from 1999 to 2003, was one of the stars in the movie ‘The World is not Enough’ with Pierce Brosnan behind the wheel. The Z8, license plate V354 FMP, was loaded with all the usual Q refinements including titanium plating and armor, ground to air missiles behind the side air intakes, a key chain that can control the car remotely, an infra-red tracking system, a high-sensitivity listening device and as R (John Cleese) proudly pointed out, cup holders. The Z8 unfortunately was not used much in the film and cut in half by a helicopter with a very large saw.
At the time of filming of The World Is Not Enough, BMW only had a prototype shell and a running test car ready and so provided Propshop at Pinewood Studios with the shell and designs so they could make replica kit cars for the film. The bodywork was moulded from BMW’s prototype shell and was made in two pieces to eliminate gaps in the hood and trunk. As the team had only eight weeks to build the car, any unnecessary extras were removed.
In total two kit cars and one shell were made for the film. The shell was destroyed during filming; the other surviving car remains in the possession of EON Productions and is on display at Bond in Motion (first at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu until 2014, and currently in the London Film Museum).
About 5700 real Z8s were built by BMW. The car has an all aluminum chassis and body and includes a 5.0 litre (4941cc), 400 horsepower (300 kW) 32 valve V8 S62 motor built by the BMW Motorsports subsidiary, it transplanted directly from the E39 M5. Performance specs touted a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) time of 4.7 seconds.
Ordering and taking delivery of a car as exclusive as the Z8 should be a memorable experience; at the time the car was released, BMW took steps to ensure that it is just that. Owners awaiting delivery of their roadster were offered a high-quality scale model of the Z8. A handmade book was presented to the owner of each Z8 upon delivery, including photographs of his or her car in production and actual paint and upholstery samples from the car. Z8 owners were offered the opportunity to take delivery of their roadster at BMW headquarters in Munich, Germany, where they could even watch the final assembly of their roadster. Munich delivery also included a tour of the Z8 assembly area.
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