What's My Color?

**Doug Dolan** · February 16th 2015, 16:26

Where & When??

**zilver8** · February 16th 2015, 22:54

Originally Posted by Doug Dolan

Where & When??

I found that shot on Flickr. The description said "BMW Z8 "Gipfeltreffen" des BMW-Clubs auf dem Dach der Welt in Winterberg". No idea what that means and where it's from.

**Z-acht** · February 17th 2015, 07:51

The translation is: A BMW Z8 "summit meeting" on the roof of the world in Winterberg. Winterberg is a small german village in a region called the Sauerland and it has the nickname " Roof of the Sauerland".

**macfly** · April 18th 2015, 17:27

Even though I just listed this car in the For Sale section, I think it's worth having at least some of the images of it here as it is such a rare and eye-catching color combo, and at one of only eight made, one of the rarest of all.

**zed8** · April 19th 2015, 07:01

Spiderman edition

**Bend** · April 19th 2015, 15:30

Originally Posted by Satch

"Damn, that looks good; now I have seller's remorse!"

What, you mean you sold those chrome wheels?!

There seems to be one chrome Alpina wheel on eBay... which raises interesting questions: Why just one wheel? Who got drunk and thought chromed wheels were a good idea—especially Alpina wheels?

My Z4 has been running around on chromed Style 224 wheels lately; that's the wheel that should have come on the car, but mine wound up with takeoffs from an E46M3 (long story), so I eventually bought these, even though they were chromed (?!). I put autocross tires on them for Oktoberfest 2014 and pulled off my red Dinan wheels.

Oooh: I wonder if Stevie D ever made wheels for the Z8! I wonder if the nineteens he made for the M roadster would work on a Z8! (But no, I am not going to put red wheels on a Jet Black roadster... I don't even think I could get away with ghost flames.)

I seem to have strayed from the topic. Must be avoiding another deadline!

Hello Satch,
Don't drink much. But, you might want to pull up a chair. You earned yourself a story about this modification.
Actually, I took a long time thinking about this change. When I first got the car, I felt that the car was almost perfect, but there were a few things that I thought I wanted to modify to take it from 90 to 97 percent - to truly become the car that I would not trade for any car on the planet. The fact that I planned never to sell my dream car, made it a little easier to make changes that could easily negatively affect any appreciation of the car. When the time came to pull the trigger, I derived more courage knowing that I had the great team of Dana Caldwell and Matt Carver making the modifications.
The first and most significant change I made was to the suspension of the car. The Z8 suspension together with the original run flat tires made the car ride like a '68 Corvette. Here in southern California where the concrete highways are horrible, a Sunday drive could loosen a kidney stone. Going to Michelin tires helped but discussion with the folk at Alpina suggested that we could mix the DNA of the cars to achieve a more compliant ride. Adding stiffer sway bars sealed the deal. (for the whole story - http://www.bmwz8.us/forum/suspension...35-page-2.html)
There was a period of time where a number of us strayed from our original wheels. I particularly liked the Alpina wheels and included it in the modification. Over time I found the pattern a little busier than I liked. One day I saw one of our colleagues car in stratus with chromed Alpina wheels and found the busyness was somehow quelled. That car was beautiful (to me) with the wheels complementing the external chrome. So while the chrome wheels draw more attention than I would prefer (as if a Z8 doesn't draw enough attention), off the wheels went.
I've been happy since, with rarely a time of pining for the more understated days.
Nice to meet you, Satch.
Ted

**///M Blitz** · April 20th 2015, 15:03

Not a fan of the Topaz/Red combo, just doesn't look right; this coming from an owner of a Z8 with a red interior!

**Gammaman** · April 20th 2015, 15:43

I agree, it's just too busy visually speaking. Had I known that it was possible to special order, I would have gone with Stratus/Red, but the red interior was a must so I went with black.

**///M Blitz** · April 20th 2015, 15:57

Oh yeah, the black/red in the Z8 go together line peanut butter and jelly. Aesthetically speaking, for me it was toss up between the black/red and the red/red, but I already had a black BMW (still have it) and didn't want to deal with the "dirt" factor on a second car.

**Satch** · April 21st 2015, 01:33

Um, Andrew? We need to fix something. The survey says "You have already done this survey," and that's true: for 60084. But what about 60664, Topaz over black, which has just become the entire retirement portfolio of Party A?! As her financial advisor put it, "You need to diversify your holdings. Well, black and blue are diverse, are they not?!

**macfly** · April 21st 2015, 02:02

Congratulations, that's a great color combo!

**zilver8** · May 5th 2015, 01:19

I don't believe we have seen this color combo before... silver with red interior AND beige soft top.

**Norcal** · May 5th 2015, 01:31

Oh, that's horrible!

**Gammaman** · May 5th 2015, 09:59

Was that even a factory option as individual, or perhaps a replacement? Red top on silver/red would have been nice.

**zilver8** · May 5th 2015, 13:15

Originally Posted by Gammaman

Was that even a factory option as individual, or perhaps a replacement? Red top on silver/red would have been nice.

My guess is that it came from the factory that way. The car is on ebay and it has less than 7000 miles...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z8-Roads...m=161695046680

**Z-acht** · May 5th 2015, 16:13

According to the VIN decoder:

Optional Equipment:
Softtop dark beige
Headlining anthracite
Battery master switch
Transport protection package

**zed8** · May 5th 2015, 16:51

I would change the top to black inmediately.
How could a person order this combo from the factory??

bmwarchive_org_ah61732.pdf

**macfly** · May 5th 2015, 22:40

Interesting that it's a special order item, I wasn't aware that we could special order anything for the car here in the US, I think it must have been a very special or well connected owner.

**///M Blitz** · May 6th 2015, 11:27

Originally Posted by macfly

I wasn't aware that we could special order anything for the car here in the US

It wasn't like in Europe where they had "Individual," but I remember that when I ordered my car you could mix and match tops, including the hardtop, and other minor things (can't think of any right now). The catch was that the more "individual" one went the higher the deposit required.

**Z-acht** · May 6th 2015, 13:23

I have a german "handbook for the sales person" and there the beige soft top is part of a "Special delivery" ( not the "Individual" ) without extra costs. The side note in the book explains everything

Attention: this beige soft top is only delivered when the customer explicitly wants it and is pointed out that the cloth can be dirtied easily

**ron's rocket** · May 6th 2015, 21:13

A quick search shows this question has come up before but not answered... "Battery Master Switch"?

**Z-acht** · May 7th 2015, 09:25

This device was connected to the batterie for far destinations to prevent the weakening of the new batterie. It was sent to the factory in Germany after delivery

**boomster** · May 7th 2015, 10:22

Ton, where do you come up with this stuff? Thanks for sharing your seemingly limitless Z8 knowledge with us!

Bill

**Z-acht** · May 7th 2015, 10:41

Hi Bill, I think my only asset is that I speak German

I searched with "S818A Batteriehauptschalter" ( from the VIN data) and than you find multiple German forums were it is explained

So I learn too!

**zilver8** · July 10th 2015, 10:10

2 very different cars... the gray car is stunning. The blue wrap is ok - I'm just not a fan of matte colors.

**zilver8** · August 2nd 2015, 12:25

Looks great in red with Alpina wheels

**Satch** · August 22nd 2015, 15:05

I'm still determined to try Style 89 wheels with 19-inch tires...

**Norcal** · August 22nd 2015, 15:11

What's style 89?

**Musta10000** · August 22nd 2015, 16:25

Originally Posted by Norcal

What's style 89?

This is BMW Style 89 rim:

**Satch** · August 22nd 2015, 16:35

Thanks, Skip! I STILL can't seem to find a way to paste pictures!

It asks for a URL, and I say, "Huh?"

**Musta10000** · August 22nd 2015, 16:58

Originally Posted by Satch

Thanks, Skip! I STILL can't seem to find a way to paste pictures!

It asks for a URL, and I say, "Huh?"

I load pictures up on Photobucket first and then use the link for that picture to insert to the "URL" window. I do not believe there is a direct way to upload or paste into the boards. Those rims do look very, very nice and would most likely look great on the Z8. You may have to buy a set so we can see...

**thegunguy** · August 22nd 2015, 18:02

You can add your own photos using the Go Advanced option. Then select Manage Attachments under the Addition Options section below the text editor.

It even works from iOS devices like so...

- - - Updated - - -

Are those 760 wheels?

**Norcal** · August 22nd 2015, 19:00

Originally Posted by Musta10000

This is BMW Style 89 rim:

A near 50/50 mix between the z8 and alpina wheel design?

**Satch** · August 22nd 2015, 22:30

Ah: Advanced! I see!

I keep thinking that the Z8 may be the first sports car that would benefit from chromed wheels. After all, it already sports chromed elements like the gills and the side mirrors (which interior-restorations guru Guy Recordon hates, hates, hates); if I knew for sure that the Style 89s from a 760i would fit the Z8 with no issues, I would be sorely tempted by these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291386603939...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Meanwhile, I seem to have managed to upload an image of the Style 89:

**macfly** · August 22nd 2015, 22:56

Actually chromed rims look really good on the black and topaz cars, so you're in the right color range for chrome. They look awful on silver and red & ok-ish on Stratus

**Gammaman** · August 27th 2015, 12:47

Satch, you may be on to something; if you look at the Style 89 on a 7 series it doesn't look like anything special, but see how the Z8 Style 59 looks on a sedan:

Again, nothing to shout about, so one can imagine that the Style 89 looks pretty sharp on the Z, especially in chrome.

**skicoach** · August 27th 2015, 19:37

Satch,
Just another subjective viewpoint; I have a Ti/Red car and have had chrome wheels on them for 10 years and think they look great. I do think they complement the other chrome parts of the car very well. I think the 89's would look fabulous.
Chris

**vzben** · October 9th 2015, 17:01

Anyone had ever seen a silver z8 with black/black interior? http://ww3.autoscout24.de/classified...356?asrc=st|as What a low mileage!

**Z8doc** · October 9th 2015, 17:56

Probably and individual car but if so, the door sill would have 'individual" on the plate instead of it saying "BMW ".

If it is an individual , it might be the only one like that .... Other option is it might've been changed by the prior owner after the fact.

Personally, prefer the titanium interior with the black for contrast .

**macfly** · October 9th 2015, 18:26

Agreed, t's not an attractive combo.

**Z8doc** · October 9th 2015, 21:18

Satch, I think the Dryle 89's are fine and if I remember ER when I was looking at wheels I likes the too. But as with a lot things, wheels are DEFINITELY "in the eye of the beholder" type of thing so what matters most is what you like. There are lots of photos on this and other threads of various chrome and other wheels to get an idea. Agreed with Andrew's comments on color combos with chrome, hence when I was looking, I got the Beyern 20" Style 5 spoke with painted centers and polished lip- which accents the chrome highlights your referencing.

**boomster** · October 10th 2015, 11:51

The nice thing about wheel changes is they are the easiest modification to reverse if you or the next owner fall out of love with them. I always felt the appearance of the stock wheels were a weak point on the Z8, so I put on a set of stock chromed wheels and put the originals (with runflats) in dry storage. While I am not normally a chrome-loving guy, I felt the chrome was in keeping with the retro vibe (think chrome spoked wheels on a series 1 E-Type) and gave the car a little more pop. Reaction to them at Cars & Coffee has been mixed, some like 'em, some don't, but for now I am happy. And when the time comes, it will take me an hour to throw the originals back on.

By the way, Andrew, I am disappointed you don't like the chrome wheels on a red car. I got the idea from viewing your photos of your friend Sandi in a car identical to mine in the photo Gallery here on the forum. I was quite taken by the look of the chromed stock wheels (or maybe I was quite taken by Sandi ........

)

Bill

**macfly** · October 10th 2015, 18:21

And I was certainly quite distracted by Sandi too!! ;-) I think that chrome works best on darker colors, and I consider the red a light color, but hey, it's all about what puts a smile on your face when you walk into the garage!

**Satch** · October 13th 2015, 17:45

If there are no pictures, then it didn't happen...

I am actually toying with buying a set of chromed Style 89s for the blue car. Somebody STOP me!

**Norcal** · October 14th 2015, 03:30

I would love to see that Satch, far be it from me to save you! (Please post pics!)

**vzben** · October 19th 2015, 19:13

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/de...l?id=216949595

**Satch** · October 19th 2015, 19:41

Eek indeed! But even more interesting is a Z8... with a Z4 engine! If it isn't overly butchered, this car might be restorable to its proper glory:

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/de...4&pageNumber=1

**boomster** · October 19th 2015, 20:29

I have seen advertisements for fiberglass body kits to convert the Z4 into a Z8 clone. Could this be one of those?

Bill

**Z-acht** · October 19th 2015, 20:33

Originally Posted by boomster

I have seen advertisements for fiberglass body kits to convert the Z4 into a Z8 clone. Could this be one of those?

Bill

Spot on Bill, it is a Z4 conversion.

**boomster** · October 19th 2015, 20:37

I have to admit, it doesn't look all that bad. It would probably fool 99% of the people that see it.

Bill

**Z-acht** · October 19th 2015, 20:47

true, the angle of the screen shows it.

**vzben** · October 20th 2015, 18:49

The front bumper has been very well copied, it's impressive!

**Norcal** · October 21st 2015, 03:54

Hidden digits of the lisence plate. "Not a..." Or "wannabe" or "almost a" or "faux"....."cantafforda"

**Doug Dolan** · October 21st 2015, 13:12

There was one of these at the Euro Auto Festival this past weekend in Greenville, SC. Looks pretty "real" from a distance, but interior sure gives it away!

**Satch** · October 21st 2015, 22:42

Jeez Louise! IS NOTHING SACRED?! That interior looks like—

Oh, wait a minute: I have one in my garage!

**Norcal** · October 22nd 2015, 05:39

Drop in a 4 liter v8? Could be fun!

**boomster** · October 22nd 2015, 11:13

Must be the Alpina version......

Bill

**vzben** · October 22nd 2015, 12:24

I'm usually not a big fan of wrapped cars, but this one looks nice:

Source: http://www.cam-shaft.de/de/car_wrapp...x=10&suche.y=9

**macfly** · October 22nd 2015, 16:47

That's a lovely color, and one I'd have likely bought if it had been offered as in a deep, rich glossy metallic paint as new.

**Norcal** · October 23rd 2015, 02:03

I Agee Andrew, I always wanted a z8 in the color of the dash on silver cars!

**Doug Dolan** · October 23rd 2015, 16:12

Originally Posted by Norcal

I Agee Andrew, I always wanted a z8 in the color of the dash on silver cars!

Isn't that dash color Stratus?

**macfly** · October 23rd 2015, 17:27

No, it doesn't have the two-tone color in it, it's something close to their 'Silver-Gray'.

**vzben** · August 20th 2017, 21:03

Some new pictures of the rare Carbon Black/Saddle Individual:

https://www.autogespot.nl/bmw-z8-1/2017/08/20

Originally Posted by vzben

This car looks oddly like it (same wheels and almost same plate): Do you think it's the same one?

Here are the first pictures: http://www.autogespot.nl/bmw-z8/2010/10/29

**Norcal** · August 20th 2017, 22:42

Wow, that is just stunning! Never knew one was made in that combo.

**boomster** · August 21st 2017, 00:52

Very handsome combination. However, looking at the photos I'm not convinced the car is Carbon Black, which despite the name is actually a very dark metallic blue (my E39 M5 is Carbon Black). My thought is the exterior is Jet Black.

Bill

**Norcal** · August 21st 2017, 04:30

Yes, it does look that way

**vzben** · September 22nd 2017, 12:06

Interesting color combination on this Alpina:

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152061...90506186/page2

**macfly** · September 22nd 2017, 18:55

Interesting idea, looked like he was trying to match the dials, but overall I don't think the end result is very successful, especially without doing the doors.

**briandilley** · November 2nd 2017, 15:18

Silver and creama interior

**macfly** · November 3rd 2017, 02:31

Wow, now that's a rare combo, good find!

**vzben** · November 11th 2017, 17:01

Here's a link to the video of a silver-crema for sale in Japan:

**macfly** · November 12th 2017, 21:45

There was an issue a couple of weeks back, maybe can you try to reattach the image and see it sticks this time.

Also this is how to use YouTube's own setting to copy/paste an embed to our default size of 1200px

**vzben** · November 27th 2017, 12:04

Video of a two-tone individual in Turkey (and incredible collection):

**macfly** · November 27th 2017, 22:03

Great clip, thanks for sharing!

**jc.guilbaud** · February 23rd 2018, 12:28

Originally Posted by zilver8

Did the factory ever produce a white car or is this a repaint? Not sure I like the blacked-out chrome although it seems to work with the wheels.

Found this photo today of a white Z8 in a french hospital so the hospitalized kid’s can have fun when they go to the surgery area.
I think it is a cool idea.
Cheers.

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