This BMW Z8 Kept Only Its Roof and Doors From the Factory
by Horatiu Boeriu · BMWBLOGArticle Summary
- This 2001 BMW Z8 originally belonged to Studie founder Bob, and its current owner has kept it for more than ten years.
- Studie reworked nearly every body panel except the roof and doors, and added a scratch-built ducktail and rear diffuser.
- The S62 V8 now makes close to 550 hp, with a custom tune, full exhaust, Eventuri intake, 20-inch BBS LM wheels, and Brembo GTR brakes.
The E52 Z8 started life as Studie AG founder Bob Suzuki’s car, and its current owner has spent more than a decade reworking nearly every panel. Most people who own a BMW Z8 in 2026 treat it like a bank deposit. Keep the miles low, keep the Bond references handy, and wait for the next auction record. Mr. Kohama, a longtime customer of Japanese BMW specialist Studie AG, went the other way. His 2001 Z8 has been cut, flared, repainted, and rebuilt to the point where Studie AG’s own staff described it in 2019 as the only one like it in the world. Going by the car, that’s hard to argue with. That’s a bold thing to do to this car. BMW built just 5,703 examples of the E52 Z8 over its roughly three-year production run, and clean, original cars now command serious money.
Its Japanese History
It originally belonged to Bob Suzuki, the head of Studie AG, and the new owner said he fell for it and eventually talked him into selling. That was more than ten years ago, and it’s now the car he has owned longer than any other. Kohama says the overall character hasn’t changed much since early day, but there were a few updates along the way. For example, Studie GmbH handled the body changes again, which now wears flared wheel arches, custom fenders, a modified front bumper, side skirts, and a revised rear bumper. The paint went from white to white, which sounds pointless until you see the new finish, a pearl far heavier than the original. AC Schnitzer Sport mirrors replace the factory units.
The rear is where the car earns its keep. This BMW Z8 comes with a ducktail trunk spoiler and a one-off diffuser, both built from scratch because no off-the-shelf parts existed. The original tail lamps stay, as they should. Studie also added HID fog lights and painted the headlight internals.
More Than The S62 Left The Factory With
The Z8 shares its 4.9-liter S62 V8 with the E39 M5, good for 400 PS (394 hp) stock. This one now makes close to 550 hp thanks to a custom tune and a full exhaust system. In 2025, Studie also fitted Eventuri’s new carbon fiber intake, a rare aftermarket part for a car this scarce. Adjustable suspension keeps the extra width in check. The wheels have changed more than once. In 2021, Studie swapped the car from 19-inch to 20-inch BBS LM wheels in a limited Diamond Gold finish, with 11J widths at the rear. Behind them sit Brembo GTR brakes.
White Outside, Red And Black Inside
The exterior looks elegant. Open the door and it gets much louder. The factory red and black cabin stays, but the trim panels are now carbon fiber, the pedals are new, and a pair of full bucket seats replace the stock chairs. The Z8 only came with a manual gearbox, and Kohama says keeping a manual car into old age was always part of the plan. Even so, he’s getting used to the red. His next idea is a more subdued interior, something in beige or what he calls romance gray. With red stitching throughout, that means a full retrim rather than a touch-up, though that’s the kind of job Studie specializes in. It’s fair to say this is one of the coolest BMW Z8s that exist today and one that would turn heads everywhere.
[Custom build: @studieag / Z8 owner: @tkhk_khm / Photos: @b_u_n_g29]
See more of our coverage in your search results.