The BMW Z8 market hasn’t exactly been subtle lately. For years, the E52’s values have been on a clear upward trend – supported by Henrik Fisker’s timeless finish, the homage to the 507 integrated into every panel and the car’s pop culture afterlife as a Bond roadster that literally gave its life on the screen. Now that the 2026 auction season has just begun, a Z8-based ALPINA has just pushed resale prices into a new range.
During BH Auction’s January 9-10, 2026 event at the City Circuit Tokyo Bay – timed with the Tokyo Auto Salon audience – a 2003 ALPINARoadster V8 crossed the block and rewrote the record book. The headline price: ¥78,810,000 (~$500.00) for chassis number 295, which corresponds to a mileage of just 1,200 km (approx. 746 miles). In other words, not “low mileage” as enthusiasts usually call it, but “it still looks like it’s waiting for its first service stamp” low mileage. BH’s own listing addresses this very point, describing near-mint condition and a documented history, despite not being a single-owner car.
What is the ALPINA Roadster?
The ALPINA Roadster began with the basic line of a BMW Z8, which was itself produced in relatively small numbers – around 5,700 units – and has long since developed from a “modern classic” to a “blue chip”. BH Auction notes that the ALPINA version is an order of magnitude rarer: there are only 555 Roadster V8s* in the world, with this example presented as an officially imported Japanese car. BH also claims that only 18 examples were delivered to Japanese dealers and that this example was delivered through Nicol Automobiles, ALPINA’s distributor in Japan. This is the kind of provenance information that tends to reward Japanese collectors (and increasingly international bidders buying in Japan).
On paper, the ALPINA Roadster V8 appears to be a step back from the standard Z8. The BMW Z8’s calling card is its powertrain: the S62 V8 (famously shared with the E39 M5) and a 6-speed manual gearbox – a combination that feels like Munich’s last big analog flex before the industry’s broader shift towards automation and electronics.
ALPINA took a different path. The Roadster V8 uses a 4.8-liter V8, known internally as F5, producing 381 hp (280 kW) but with a more powerful 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque. The decisive factor is the combination with a 5-speed automatic transmission (Steptronic), which immediately gives the vehicle a new personality. But that wasn’t Buchloe’s attempt to outdo M BMW M. All they wanted to do was build the Z8, which they planned to drive around Europe at high speed, one smooth gear at a time. Even the high-speed story reverses the usual hierarchy. The standard Z8 is electronically limited to 250 km/h, while the ALPINA Roadster V8 is officially increased to 260 km/h.
A record sale that fits the times
Why will an ALPINARoadster V8 bring world record money in 2026? Because the market for analog rarities is hotter than ever. The most desirable cars aren’t just the “best models” – they’re the best versions of the best models, in the best colors, with the best stories, in the best condition. A near-new, numbered ALPINA Z8 in Japan – where the preservation culture can be obsessive and where increasingly global buyers shop – ticks many boxes.
And there is another detail that seems almost poetic: Andreas Bovensiepen himself once resisted naming a single favorite from ALPINA’s back catalog – until he finally did. The car he described as his personal favorite product? The V8 roadster. You can see photos of the car at BH Auction. [Story via BimmerToday]
