BMW Z8 is without a doubt one of the best looking cars the Bavarians have ever launched. Penned under the supervision of one Henrik Fisker and equally famous – Chris Bangle – the beautiful roadster is a timeless classic. Over the years, those who were brave enough to buy years ago, are now ready to cash out.
Initially, the Z8 had a starting price of $128,000, but buying one today will require quite a hefty premium. JBR Capital, a British financing firm, claims that there’s even more potential for the roadster later down the road, stating that it’s a better choice for those interested in long-term returns than almost everything else you could be looking into right now.
According to them, over the last decade, classic cars have ranked as one of the most attractive luxury investments ahead of traditional items such as jewelry and art. Only fine wines – a 24 percent increase – appear to have proved a better investment in the last 12 months, with cars from Porsche, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz generating the most increase in value over the last year.
“The classic car investment market has calmed down slightly over the last 12 months, but prices are still rising and it is modern classics – cars from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s – that are one of the safest investments. These are the poster cars, the cars that graced bedroom walls and, in many cases, found fame on TV or in the movies. They are in hot demand from buyers who are now able to realize a dream,” said Darren Selig, CEO and Co-Founder at JBR Capital.
The company even lists a couple of cars with great potential over the next years, like the 1989 Mercedes 300SL (R107), 1998 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta (manual), 2007 Aston Martin Vanquish S, 2012 Porsche 997 Turbo S. Then there’s the mention of the BMW Z8 as well but when it comes to it, the room for improvement might be less than you think.
That’s because prices are already pretty high, with the cheapest starting at around $165,000 and most sporting $200,000 on their window stickers. From here on out, the prices might still go up in the future but chances are, the appreciation trend will slow down so an investment into one of them right now might not yield the results you’re hoping for.
What makes the Z8 a collector’s item is the fact that a limited number of them were sold in the first place, along with its outlandish design and brilliant engine. That’s because you get a proper V8 under the hood, sourced from a BMW E39 M5, probably one of the best sounding mills the Germans ever made.