I am new to this board but have had my 2001 Z8 about 6 years. It had 7500 miles on it then and I believe I was the second owner. The car gets light use and now has 17,600 miles. I fell in love with the Z8 when still in concept form as it appeared in many car mags and auto shows. Initial pricing was through the moon and dealers were adding huge premiums as you know. I waited patiently for the froth to fade. Then in 2003, I began searching. Looked at many cars and settled on a nice silver with black example which I was able to buy for $95k at a nearby dealership with CPO warranty.
Prior to owning the Z8, my experience with high end performance cars included three 911s, a 928, a Boxster and an Acura NSX, over a 20 year period. All except the NSX were purchased used. Other than tires and oil changes the Porsches required almost no maintenance and nothing ever broke. The NSX used up the first battery in a couple months but after that it was perfect.
The Z8 is a different story. I have had battery problems, almost total delamination of the leather dash, top stings disappear, intermittent key problems, intermittent radio problems, seat backs becoming unglued, trunk lid falling on my head, trunk fails to open half the time from inside, and an oil light the seems to come on randomly even the dipstick indicates sufficient oil. I thought I had a lemon, but this Forum has made me realize that nearly everyone has some or all of the same issues. None are life threatening, just frustrating. So I admit that I have not attempted to have these problems addressed by a dealer. I really don't have a relationship with one of the many dealers in my area and I don't particularly want one. If I did I would have bought a Ferrari.
Anyway, I was aware of the possible frame issue based on a letter from BMW NA back in 2006, but I didn't pay much attention due to the low miles I was putting on the car. Now that I've read the frame thread, I am in constant fear that the next pothole will twist the car like a pretzel. The roads in NY/NJ are only slightly better than Bagdhad these days, so its only a matter of time.
I love driving the Z8. I love its unique style. I hate all the problems. I know I must find a competent dealer to install the performace package and maybe get rid of the run flats, to be safe. I know I should get the other stuff fixed as well. The question I have now is whether its worth all the expense and aggravation or whether I should put it on Ebay. Does anybody out there understand my dilemma?