CAR WARS! 20 Years From Today, What Will Be Worth MORE On The Used Market? i8 vs. Z8

When it comes to halo cars, they're always the vehicles that are the flagship models. They're hard to come by when new and even tougher to acquire when used.

That's because many of them aren't well kept and, of course, some are going to get crashed.

For BMW, two models of recent memory that commanded a serious amount of attention were the two-door roadster, the Z8, and the all-new hybrid electric vehicle, the i8. Both had completely different approaches.

The Z8 was a retro design that stayed true to BMW's DNA of simplicity: a manual gearbox and good driving dynamics.

The i8 was the antithesis of this with its hybrid electric powertrain and three-cylinder, gas-fed motor. As expected from a mid-engine setup, it drives like a dream. But, rather than look into the past, the i8 looks to the future.

That said, all of this got us thinking: What will be worth MORE on the used market in 20 years? The i8 or the Z8?

valhallakey - 2/12/2016 12:16:47 AM

+1 Boost

Although the i8 will cost more to repair, maintain etc... I think it is a more revolutionary product and will be worth more long term than the Z8 which is the prettier car by a nose and a half.

MorePower - 2/12/2016 12:36:36 AM

+4 Boost

Z8 for sure.

In 20 years, things like carbon fiber chassis and multiple powerplants/hybrid-electric power will be common place.

They did not make that many Z8s to begin with and I'm sure there will be multiple generations of i8s.

W208 - 2/13/2016 7:05:06 AM

+3 Boost

God, I hope you're wrong about that second comment. I saw white i8 the other day....hideous; I don't care how fast it is on those girly Prius wheels.

sl55on20s - 2/12/2016 5:48:13 AM

+1 Boost

The i8 is not a limited run car, the Z8 was for the most part hence the reason why it's so rare. I don't see the i8 been a collectors car at all, they're pumping tons of them and they'll probably continue to make the i8 for years to come by adding new variants.

Blitzer - 2/12/2016 6:35:26 AM

+4 Boost

The Z8 is one of those "once in a generation" cars, built in limited quantity that is already appreciating rapidly. Also, remember that the all aluminum Z8 was just as revolutionary in 2000 as the carbon fiber i8 is in 2016. Prime examples of Z8s are trading between $250K and $300K and, bearing a financial catastrophe (not all that unlikely), will hit $500K within 10 years. The i8 is an interesting avant-garde car that will be produced in much higher numbers and doesn't have that visceral-appealing styling. Don't get me wrong, I love the i8, but it's no Z8 (full disclosure, I'm the original owner of Z8 #2234).

Yonder7 - 2/12/2016 8:24:05 AM

0 Boost

Z8 is crap, a beautiful design with a very bad engineering. All old Z8 have a bi issue with the base of the dampers. the corrosion is so bad that you won't see them because most of them are death (beside the fact that it was very limited version). I8 in the other side is a premier in the world of the sport electric hybrid cars and so far seems to well executed, hopefully the next version will have a better range. So I8 (but ONLY the first generation) will be a collectors car.

MDarringer - 2/12/2016 8:28:58 AM

0 Boost

The Z8 will still be drivable whereas the i8's electrical components will likely be unavailable for replacement because technology will have moved on.

Yonder7 - 2/12/2016 8:33:53 AM

+1 Boost

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2006-01-18/bmws-z8-structurally-shaky-businessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

t_bone - 2/12/2016 9:12:35 AM

+4 Boost

It can't really be a serious question.

Not only is the Z8 possibly the best looking roadster of all time, but it came out just before Chris Bangle started the automotive design Dark Ages we are still stuck in.

MorePower - 2/13/2016 3:54:12 AM

+3 Boost

Bangle years were the best years BMW had.

You may not have like them, but his cars have character, unlike the BMWs of today.

W124E320 - 2/12/2016 9:13:29 AM

+1 Boost

No question, the Z8. I'm with Blitzer, its a once in a generation car and is timeless. The car is simply stunning and will stand the test of time. The i8 is hideous now, so what will it look like in 5-10 yrs or more? The i3 is hideous too.. if they were Cadillac's they'd be laughing stocks but since they're BMW's, well...

scenicbyway12 - 2/12/2016 3:21:49 PM

+2 Boost

The Z8 buy far, it was a limited production car, the I8 is not.