The Most Incredible Features Of Steve Jobs' BMW Z8
Steve Jobs has been credited with practically re-tooling the entire digital world with the introduction of the iPhone, iTunes, and numerous upgrades to Mac computers and Apple as a whole. He left an indelible mark on the world that culture as a whole is still feeling nearly 12 years after his passing.
During his time as Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs took a liking to German cars. He was well-known for continuously buying a black Porsche 911 and replacing it after six months. After he got tired of the Porsche, he switched to a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and replaced it every six months with an identical car. It was rumored that he switched out the cars because California law allowed the buyer to drive around without a license plate for six months (via Autoweek)
Before the Porsche and Mercedes, Steve Jobs bought a then brand-new 2000 BMW Z8 roadster. This car was unique for Jobs as he kept it longer than a few months and it was actually registered in his name. He eventually sold it in 2003, according to R.M. Sotheby's, and it has switched hands a few times since then. His BMW was kept completely stock and sold at auction for $329,500 in 2017. Steve Jobs memorabilia, like his sandals, has been known to sell for huge amounts at auction.
Jobs hated the car phone
Being owned by Steve Jobs is just the icing on the automotive cake that is his 2000 BMW Z8. If the Mazda Miata roadster were an RC model airplane, the BMW Z8 would be an F-14 Tomcat in comparison. The Z8 was first revealed to the world in 1999 in its native Germany. The car was built on an extremely limited basis and Jobs' specific car was only the 85th Z8 made for the States. The Z8 was powered by the same 5-liter V8 that was used by the BMW M5 at the time. It generated 400 horsepower and 369 ft-lbs of torque. Zero to 60 miles per hour took "less than five seconds" according to BMW, making it incredibly quick for its time.
The Z8 is widely considered one of the best BMWs ever produced. From the factory, the Z8 had some interior features that Steve Jobs would later come to hate. Jobs reportedly had an extreme dislike for the integrated BMW-branded Motorola cell phone (via R.M. Sotheby's). Although no one knows for sure, perhaps it was this car phone that at least partially inspired the iPhone that launched several years later.
While Jobs drove the car semi-regularly, the Z8 only had just over 15,000 miles on it when it was auctioned in 2017, making it practically new.