BMW release limited edition Mille Miglia Z4

By Paul Bond

07th May 2010

Grazie mille, BMW! To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the firm’s famous win at the Mille Miglia road race, it’s created a limited-edition version of the Z4 roadster.

Called the Z4 sDrive 35is Mille Miglia, it’s been launched in Italy to coincide with this year’s recreation of the classic-themed event, which took place last weekend. To keep the drop-top exclusive, only 99 left-hand-drive cars will be up for grabs.

The Mille Miglia edition is powered by the same 335bhp twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six as is found in the standard model. It comes equipped with an M Sports aerodynamics pack, new 10-spoke dark chrome 19-inch alloys and silver ‘Polaris’ matte paint.

Other visual modifications include bright red ‘Mille Miglia’ badging which adorns the  wings and the bootlid, and the trademark BMW kidney grilles have been blacked out for a more purposeful looking front-end

Inside, the sports seats are finished in quilted black Alcantara and leather and contrasting red stitching. The car also gets an M Sport steering wheel, unique floor mats, 'more Mille Miglia' badges and special decorative trim.

The victory remains one of BMW’s finest: its classic 328 Kamm Coupé took first, third, fifth and sixth places at the 1940 northern Italian race. But this is not the first time BMW’s revisited its glorious win: in 2006, it recreated the car in a modern Z4-based concept recently shown at the annual Villa d’Este concours.