While out car-spotting during the insanity of Monterey Car Week, I came across this rare Alpina BMW Z8, also known as the “Alpina V8 Roadster.” Basically the Alpina version of the Z8 has been refocused into more of a boulevard cruiser instead of a hardcore M5 Roadster that the Z8 was originally supposed to be. Alpina Z8s only came with automatic transmissions, and the V8 engine was even detuned a little to 375hp.
This might sound lame, but it caters to a certain clientele. I certainly wouldn’t want this version over the standard Z8, myself, but BMW did manage to find 555 people worldwide who did. So what you get with the Alpina is a chilled-out version of the Z8 that is quite a rare bird. It certianly has its appeal.
Either way, this one managed to catch my eye in the midst of the madness in downtown Carmel, so I guess that says what needs to be said about this car’s appeal. Let us know how you like the Alpina Z8 in the comments.
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 
The audience is probably little old lady hot sports car wannabes. I can relate!
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Actually not a detuned Z8 at all but a full mod by Alpina. Has more torque than a regular Z8
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But a more torquey state of tune on an N/A engine yields less peak horsepower. And it’s an automatic transmission which has far more parasitic loss than a manual gearbox does. Net result is less horsepower reaching the rear wheels, so it is in fact detuned from a standard Z8. Remember, torque is part of the equation for horsepower. Torque is a force and Power is is a force applied over a distance in a given amount of time. When it comes to speed, horsepower/weight is the determining factor, torque just helps a car “feel” fast.
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