Motorola RIZR Z8 Ferrari Edition

Status: 🔴 Critically damaged 🟤 Sticky housing

These days, pulling out an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy doesn’t really impress anyone, but back in the 2000s, a mobile phone was not just a gadget—it was a status symbol.

• Rocking a black-and-white Alcatel or Fly? You were a broke nobody.
  
• Using a Siemens? You were an old fart.
  
• Carrying a Motorola or Sony Ericsson? You were a quirky outsider, a show-off, “not like the others.”
  
• Got yourself a Nokia or Samsung? You were a rich kid.
  
• Pulling a Windows Mobile PDA out of your pocket? You were seriously loaded.
  

That was the reality for those who bought their phones brand-new, straight from the store.

But then there was another category of buyers—people for whom just owning a premium brand wasn’t enough. They needed something even more exclusive. For these customers, fashion-branded phones were made—devices designed in collaboration with luxury fashion houses, featuring unconventional materials like precious metals, leather, and Swarovski crystals, as well as custom color schemes and even “exclusive” content.

That’s how we got phones like Motorola D&G, Samsung Armani, LG Prada, and many more.

And even among these co-branded luxury phones, there was a higher tier. What else, besides designer clothes and accessories, could describe your status? That’s right—cars. But not just any car—not an Opel Astra or a Toyota Corolla. No, we’re talking about at least an Audi or a Mercedes. Or, better yet—a Ferrari. A sleek, bright red beauty with a black prancing horse on a yellow badge.

The idea was in the air, so naturally, it didn’t take long for execution to follow.

In fact, there wasn’t just one Ferrari phone—not even two. There was a whole lineup from different manufacturers. To name a few, I definitely remember models from Acer and Vertu. And, of course, this slider from Motorola.

I’ve mentioned this before—both here and in plenty of other places—but Motorola’s sleek, sharp designs have always reminded me of sports cars. And in this case, the Ferrari aesthetic fit the phone perfectly:

• The red SIM card slot cover, with its instantly recognizable Ferrari logo, looks just like a car hood.
  
• The perforated microphone grille on the front resembles a vent intake.
  
• And the navigation button? That’s a luxury sports car steering wheel.
  

Spot on. Well done.

Unfortunately, my unit barely works—I only managed to see the startup animation when turning it on. But even that was a surprise: under the sound of a roaring engine, a bright red Ferrari sped across the screen, with a checkered flag waving overhead.

Exclusive content, indeed.

Now, why do I have two RIZR Z8s? Simple—I’m obsessed with this design. To my knowledge, no other company ever made an “anatomical slider.” That’s why I feel a personal duty to preserve these artifacts for future generations.