1) The hardtop has not been delivered with the car and the cold and rainy weather will soon be here. I think BMW have a bit of a nerve expecting customers to take delivery of a vehicle and pay full-price upfront when the car lacks a roof... ! Is this a piss-take or just arrogance ?

I dont know if this is arrogance- but I do know that they are making each hard top just like each car- by hand. I know they are scheduled for delivery to the USA "sometime in October"; which when I feed it through my BS processor translates into "late October/ early November"

However you will be glad to know that the soft top is (IMHO) first rate (as it should be) and I think you will be so smitten with the car when you get it you'll pretty much forget about the hard top until it arrives. it is that good.

2) In Germany, the Z3-M Coupe is rumoured to have had better test circuit times than the Z8. How can this be so when the Z8 has 2 litres extra under the hood and a stiffer chassis ? ... so am I paying almost double for an 'inferior' performing car ?

It all depends on what you consider performance. Ive driven the Z3M, the M5, usa M3 and the Z8. Here are some impressions

Z3M- its crazy- the rear end comes out pretty easy and the car could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Its fun, but would be difficult as a daily driver.

USA (previous model) M3: sharp as a razor handling and good power. the Z3M feels faster because its smaller and open, but the M3 is far more suited for a wide array of driving. Its also more difficult to get its suspension ruffeled up.

M5: fantastic mix of luxury and sport- truly the iron fist in the velvet glove. but you will feel its mass- as opposed to the Z3M and the M3, where the cars feel light as a feather. However, that said the M5 is easily the best every day car here and I would never swap it for the M3. The steering is not quite as percise but its very good and the car has amazing handling for its size and weight.

Z8: We get a magazine here in the US called Automobile- I dont know if you get it over there. They had an article on the Z8 a couple of issues ago and I think they were right. They said you cant compare it to anything else. The experience is "singular"; and they are right. While the M5 has all kinds of information displays, and "toys"; with the Z8, the "toy" is the car and its not about MPG on this tank of fuel, or the outside temprature, or GPS navagaiton (although it has many of these features); the Z8 is about the excitement and emotion of driving a "roadster". The ride is a little rougher than the M5, but pretty much on par with the previous M3- and thats good. The M5 seems to have better handling in terms of g-force, but thats not going to matter to you once you drive yours. The steering is extremely quick and very accurate. You sit behind a hood that seems to extend quite a bit- but not so much that its ackward or a problem. So here are some parting thoughts- are there other cars that will beat it? sure there are. After you drive your car, will you care about that? Nope; all youll care about is getting back into your new baby! As they said in Automobile Magazine: If you like to drive, by the time you are to the end of the block, you will understand the Z8. Finally, anyone Ive been around whose seen a Z8 has the same reaction, they get giddy with excitement- I think you will too.

And why does the 3.2lt engine deliver 100 BHP per litre and the newer 5 ltr engine only deliver 80 BHP per litre ? Is it deliberately de-tuned to provide reliability ?

two different engines. ones a flat 6 and the other is a v8. The sound and feel of the v8 are wonderful.

Enjoy your Z8.