BMW Z8 review: the M5 engine in a 507 tribute, and a Bahrain garage trophy today
3.7/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The Z8 is one of the most significant BMWs ever built and, decades on, one of the most valuable — appreciating steadily as a modern classic with a genuine E39 M5 engine and hand-finished aluminium bodywork. In Bahrain it belongs in a climate-controlled garage, insured as a collector asset and driven on cool evenings rather than commuted in. Any purchase needs full provenance verification and a specialist inspection; this is not a transaction to rush.
Pros
- Genuine E39 M5 4.9-litre V8 and six-speed manual in a hand-built aluminium body
- Design directly honours BMW's 1950s 507, a rare exercise in the brand's history
- Fewer than 5,700 built worldwide, driving strong and consistent value appreciation
- One of the most historically significant modern-era BMWs a collector can own
Cons
- No practical daily-use case in Bahrain; strictly a collector asset
- Requires climate-controlled storage and specialist care sourced abroad
- Values now high enough that any purchase demands full provenance verification
- Aluminium spaceframe body repairs need specialist expertise not available locally
The Z8's design deliberately echoes the 507 of the 1950s, and BMW built its body from an aluminium spaceframe rather than a conventional steel monocoque, hand-assembled in relatively small numbers at the company's Munich plant. Under the retro-styled skin sits thoroughly modern hardware for its era: the 4.9-litre S62 V8 straight out of the contemporary E39 M5, mated to the same six-speed manual gearbox.
Why collectors chase it
The Z8's combination of design significance, hand-built rarity and a genuinely great M engine has made it one of the strongest-appreciating BMWs of the last quarter-century on the global collector market. Values have climbed well past the car's original list price, and well-documented, low-mileage examples command a significant premium over higher-mileage cars.
What ownership means in Bahrain
There is no realistic scenario where a Z8 is anyone's daily transport here. Humidity-controlled storage, specialist servicing sourced abroad, and careful provenance checks on any car offered for sale are the baseline. Given the values now involved, any transaction should go through an authenticated inspection rather than a standard used-car process.