If the cars used in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies are any indication, BMW is well on its way to establishing itself as the automotive brand of choice for James Bond. Whether that s a good or bad thing is up to the reader; whatever one s opinion may be of BMWs in general, the newest Bond car - the BMW Z8 - is a true supercar, and is sure to impress automotive enthusiasts the world over. Prior to the 1990's, it would have been surprising to see Bond in a BMW. The company slowly built up its automotive base in America during the 1960's and 1970's with the introduction of the legendary 2002 and 3.0 series; the first generation 3, 5, and 7-series cars bowed in the late 70's. The brand really took off in America during the 1980's, and the distinctive kidney grille became a true status symbol. This subjected the cars to derision, though, and the company s fortunes waned in America (along with other German marques such as Volkswagen/Audi and Mercedes-Benz) in the late 80's and early 90's while the Japanese brands (Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti) broke new ground with less expensive and more reliable luxury brands. BMW quickly regained the ground it had lost in the early to middle part of this decade, however, and its current product line is universally acclaimed. So when GoldenEye was going into production, it s likely that the folks from Munich jumped at the chance to have one of their cars - a new and heretofore unseen roadster, no less - featured in a James Bond film. If a Bond fanatic weaned on Aston Martins couldn t imagine the sight of Roger Moore in a '74 2002tii or Timothy Dalton in an '89 325i, he probably would have had to adapt his way of thinking when Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film was released. GoldenEye introduced the public to the BMW Z3, a spirited little roadster that drew enormous attention upon its debut. It was considered to be a little underpowered, though, because it was equipped with the company's familiar 138hp 4-cylinder engine. The car was also given very little to do in the film, which surprised some fans, given the enormous hype surrounding the car before GoldenEye was released. The Z3 line has expanded since 1995; the four-cylinder has been replaced with a small six, and two other engines - one a 2.8-liter six, the other coming from BMW's M3 - are part of the lineup, in both roadster and coupe form. The next BMW to appear in a Bond film was much more sedate in styling, but impressive nonetheless. The BMW 750iL had made its debut in the late 1980's with the introduction of the second-generation 7-series in 1988. Bond's 750iL, featured in Tomorrow Never Dies, was a long-wheelbase version of the base 740i car, and was powered by a massive twelve-cylinder engine. Even without the optional extras from Q Branch, Bond would have felt at home: the windows are bulletproof, the car comes equipped with a navigation system, the driver can shift gears using buttons on the steering wheel, and there are footrests in the back seat. Think of it as the ultimate luxury sedan; indeed, as Dr. Kaufman's goons found out, it was virtually impenetrable. When news of the BMW Z8 first broke in late 1997, there was speculation that it would make the perfect James Bond car. Automobile magazine previewed the Z8 prototype, dubbed the Z07, in its January 1998 issue. The code name itself is a throwback to the car's inspiration - the BMW 507 roadster, which was produced in limited quantities in the late 1950 s but is surely one of the most beautiful roadsters ever produced. There's no mistaking the Z8 for any other car on the road today; it will certainly not be confused with a Jaguar XK8 or Mercedes roadster when it bows this winter. In fact, designers from both Munich and California converged to generate the car. The car's exterior is a mix of modern and classic elements: its muscular and aggressive stance reflects the brute force of a 60's Detroit muscle car, while some aspects - the chrome side "gills," the prominent BMW roundel logo, the sporty headlights, and the elongated kidney grille - give the car an unmistakably European flair. The interior will also be quite sumptuous, as well as retro in style. The chrome gauges and panels that grace the Z3 line are sure to appear in the new roadster; the seats will certainly live up to BMW s high standards, as well. But what s important for Bond here is what will be under the hood - after all, a 1.9-liter four cylinder just doesn t cut it when you re evading the bad guys. Instead of a small four or a massive twelve, the car will feature the same eight-cylinder engine that powers BMW's new M5. It'll be mated to a smooth six-speed manual transmission, and the horsepower is expected to be around 440. Yes, it will come to the United States, but...well, let's just say that it's expensive. Very expensive. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the real "rub" with this car is the fact that it simply won't be ready for production when EON needs it. Therefore, a firm has been hired to construct its own Z8 using the BMW-provided body, which will be tacked on to another (unspecified) car's chassis. This has been done before in the world of entertainment; viewers of the old TV show "Miami Vice" might recall that Don Johnson's Ferrari Daytona was really a Chevrolet Corvette in disguise (this was due to the exorbitant cost of Ferraris, no doubt.) This isn't the most exciting option for EON, of course, but whatever may be under the hood, the Z8 is sure to impress worldwide audiences with its timeless looks and Bondian flair. Is it any surprise that after Automobile ran its Z07 feature in 1998, some readers suggested that it would make a great Bond car? The Z8 is clearly aiming to be the ultimate "Ultimate Driving Machine," and there s no better way to introduce a car to the public than with a James Bond film. Although many Bond fans have lamented the passing of Aston Martin as James Bond's brand of choice, BMW' s new über-car is sure to win its share of followers, and could very well prove to be one of the most memorable automobiles of the series.
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