CAR WARS! BMW Z8 vs. Porsche 911 — WHICH Would You Rather?

Z8. Have you seen what they're going for lately?

Yes - the Z8 - they are much rarer than the 911.

The 911 is simply getting too long in the tooth now. There are so many of them that look CLOSE to alike - that I suspect only very special ones will be worth any real premium in the next 40-50 years.

With respect to collector cars, understanding terms is essential.

Worth is worth. "How much is it?" Worth is the starting point of where someone buys in and in theory what they can expect to get in a sale. Cost and worth are two sides of a coin. To the buyer, the car has a cost. The the seller, the car has a worth. Both are a number.

Premium is a higher dollar value relative to something that is same/similar. "How much more is this one versus that one?" It is also the appreciation over time versus the cost upon entry.

Thus, an old 911 targa will command a price premium over a 911 coupe, but both have worth as enthusiast/collector cars. The premium the Targa will command will be sight.

To say--for example--that the Z8 will command a premium over the 911 is apples to oranges.

To lump all collector cars together is illogical, but people do it all the time.

The belief among people who know nothing about the collector car world that "rarity equals collector car dollar worth" which is sort of true, but would imply that Mustangs, Corvettes, and Camaros--to name three--would have no appreciative value over time given how plentiful they are.

Sure a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500KR will command a premium over a 1968 Mustang GT, so?

The 911 is Porsche's "Mustang". It is their centerpiece. People love it. Many were/are being made, but more importantly, finding a buyer for a 911 is easy because it's a car that many people aspire to own and that will not change. Will it command Ferrari Daytona prices? Nope! Will they appreciate in value? Most decidedly they will.

Moreover, the collector car money is not in the random Z8 that shows up once a century and pulls big dollars, but it the aspirational cars. The latter actually appreciate in value more relative to their initial cost because they tend to get flipped.

I'd take the 911 because I can increase it worth with relatively little cost over my initial outlay and flip it.

You can use a Porsche, the Z8 is a great design but is an useless car: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-01-18/bmws-z8-structurally-shaky-businessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice
And that's only one of a lot of pages explaining the same issues.
So I prefer the Porsche by far.

The Z8 isn't the best comparison to the 911. If it were 911 VS 8 Series, then I'd pick the 8 Series, but here there really is no choice. The 911 is your car if you plan to drive.

MDarringer: Excellent explanation Pal. In my case, if I decide that a car is collectible, it should be a car that works fine and you can drive. The Z8 is a (IMO) sad case of Beautiful design with crappy engineering. I is so beautiful that there is people willing to collect it even IF they (most of collectors know) that the car most likely won't be enjoyed in the road.

Precisely. Old cars can be a nightmare. They should be driven not ensconced in glass, but some can be pretty terrible drives by modern standards.

I would never butcher an all-numbers-matiching vehicle, but I have no problem restomodding hulks.

We've done a Jensen Interceptor that chagrined "true" collectors because we replaced the engine, transmission, wiring harness, and rear end from a modern Corvette. The irony is that people into restomods pay big money too.

I'm currently working on a 1983 TVR Tasmin and am putting a 2.3 Ecoboost and 6 speed automatic into it. The rear end will be Mustang also. I'll have to fabricate a new hood, driveline, and half shafts. These old TVRs are pretty much kit cars to begin with so kitting them as a restomod puts a perfectly legal-to-drive TVR back on the road.

Want a fake 914-6...that's doable in a weekend. LOL

Great...then if I have the chance to get a Z8 I will contact you..may be we put a chassis that is able to handle a modified suspension and change the engine for a newer version, I do not care if below the skin is not Z8 as long as we can preserve the exterior which looks stunning...