Cut Off
BMW’s stunning, aluminum-bodied Z8 roadster debuted in the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show as the Z07. Its name recalled not a Chevy performance option but the gorgeous and rare V8-powered BMW 507 roadster from 42 years prior. Designed by Henrik Fisker, automotive designer and entrepreneur, the Z8 combined retro influences – like its unfortunate center-mounted gauge cluster – with the clean, rounded styling cues of the 90s. The result is a car that’s still breathtaking 25 years later.
Under the giant hood lurked a DOHC 5.0-liter V8 engine straight from BMW’s E39 M5, which itself utilized a heavily reworked variant of the 4.4-liter V8 found in the 540i. Out of that 4.4-liter’s 282 horsepower, BMW wrung a stout 400 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque in the form of a 5.0-liter.
The Z8 was offered in the U.S. from 2000-2003. Of the 5,703 produced worldwide, fewer than half made it to our shores. Its demise coincided with the end of the E39 M5; just weeks after M5 production stopped, BMW stopped making the lithe little roadster that shared its engine.
Symbolically, and a little romantically, the Z8 couldn’t live without the car that donated its engine. Essentially, this connectedness is what Jesus spent so much time talking about in the Gospels:
“They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’” (John 8:27-29)
The power and purpose behind Jesus’ work is God. Jesus’ power to work miracles, know hearts, and forgive sin, as well as the authority and license to do so, came from God. The judgments, evaluations, and warnings he gave also came from God. In that way, he was like a prophet, yet no prophet foretold a grace that they themselves could offer.
For us, we suffer when we aren’t connected to God, and we miss out on the very purpose of our existence. Yes, it is that serious! Consider the BMW Z8. Connection to any other engine would have deprived it – and us – of incredible symbolism, power, and purpose. A powerful and technologically advanced V8 made the Z8 what it was. It just wouldn’t be a Z8 if it had a turbocharged 4-cylinder, or a V10. Even worse: a V6. Then it would be just an underpowered retro-mobile with a gimmicky center-mounted gauge cluster, and the world didn’t need two Plymouth Prowlers.
Mindfulness of our Godly connection changes how we view everything. Our struggle over attending the right school or getting the wrong education, being rejected by the right person or dating the wrong person, or an obsession over spending time and money wisely put us in crisis mode when we have nothing but those decisions to connect ourselves to. But our connection is with God. More importantly, it’s from God. He has chosen to connect with us, people who are not nearly as flawless as a brand new Z8 but who are loved even deeper and designed with even more perfection. Having that connection gives us the power to have peace in all circumstances and make informed decisions, and the purpose behind our circumstances and decisions.
The Z8’s engine was decided by its maker before it, or the M5, were even a glossy brochure in a BMW showroom. So, too, God decided your purpose – and gave you his power – long before you ever wondered about it. Unlike the M5, he will never be cut off. Drawing from that power is your freedom for as long as you keep motoring.
