It was the year 1940 when the BMW 328 built by BMW's racing division won first, third, fifth and sixth places at Mille Miglia race in Italy.
To honor this anniversary, BMW Group's Italian arm has created a special edition version of the firm's hardtop roadster called the Z4 sDrive35is Mille Miglia, of which only 99 examples will be sold in Italy.
Based on the standard Z4 sDrive35is that's powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six with 340HP, the Mille Miglia edition comes equipped with an M Sports aerodynamics package and 19-inch alloy wheels in a dark chrome shade, while the body is finished in a matte silver color called 'Polaris'.
Other exterior highlights include the 'Mille Miglia' badges and the matte black kidney grilles.
Inside, the most noticeable feature of the Z4 sDrive35is Mille Miglia are the sports seats covered in Alcantara and leather with contrasting red stitching. The car also gets an M Sport steering wheel, unique floor mats, 'Mille Miglia' badges and special decorative trim.
The 2010 edition of the Mille Miglia is particularly important because BMW is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the historic victory of the House at the Brescia Mille Miglia. And what better way to celebrate than launching a special edition Z4? Called the Z4 sDrive35is Limited Edition Mille Miglia (yes, it is an annoyingly long name), this special edition will be limited to only 99 units.
The BMW Z4 sDrive35is Limited Edition Mille Miglia will be painted in a Polaris Metallic matte finish with a black front grill. It will be offered with an M aerodynamic kit, ‘Mille Miglia’ badges, and 19-inch wheels finished in Dark Chrome.
The interior will get leather and Alcantara with red stitching and M sports steering wheel with the same red stitching.
Under the hood the same engine will be utilized as in the sDrive35is: 3.0-liter 6-cylinder twin turbo engine that delivers a total of 340 hp and 450 Nm of torque. The top speed is still limited to 155 mph.
The BMW Z4 GT3, which was officially launched and completed its first test drives at the start of March, is already enjoying great popularity among BMW Motorsport customers. The first cars have been delivered to private BMW teams, who will prepare them for use in various national and international championships.
“The feedback on the BMW Z4 GT3 is extremely positive,” says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “This sports car rounds off our product range, and offers drivers and teams the opportunity to compete in championships in accordance with the GT3 regulations – such as the FIA GT3 European Championship, the International GT Open or the ADAC GT Masters – as well as at 24-hour endurance races.” In addition, the BMW M3 GT2, the BMW 320si WTCC, which complies with Super2000 regulations, and the close-to-production BMW M3 GT4 are also available to customer teams from all over the world at BMW Motorsport Distribution.
“The feedback on the BMW Z4 GT3 is extremely positive,” says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “This sports car rounds off our product range, and offers drivers and teams the opportunity to compete in championships in accordance with the GT3 regulations – such as the FIA GT3 European Championship, the International GT Open or the ADAC GT Masters – as well as at 24-hour endurance races.” In addition, the BMW M3 GT2, the BMW 320si WTCC, which complies with Super2000 regulations, and the close-to-production BMW M3 GT4 are also available to customer teams from all over the world at BMW Motorsport Distribution.
The production model of the BMW Z4 is already impressive: with its elongated bonnet, flared wheel arches, long wheel base and narrow projections, the car boasts an unmistakable appearance. The two-seater provided BMW Motorsport engineers with a good basis for developing a close-to-production GT3 racing car.
The largest difference between production and racing car can be found under the bonnet: while the production version of the BMW Z4 is driven by a six-cylinder engine, the GT3 car is powered by a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder engine similar to the unit used in the BMW M3 GT2. This powerful heart produces over 480 bhp. Its excellent performance characteristics and good torque curve make the base engine from the production version of the BMW M3 predestined for use in motorsport.
The fitting of the V8 engine had a considerable influence on the development of the BMW Z4 GT3. Initially, design-space examinations were performed using CATIA V5 design software, in order to place the engine in the ideal position and meet racing specifications. The engineers then added all the other components.
The largest difference between production and racing car can be found under the bonnet: while the production version of the BMW Z4 is driven by a six-cylinder engine, the GT3 car is powered by a 4.0-litre eight-cylinder engine similar to the unit used in the BMW M3 GT2. This powerful heart produces over 480 bhp. Its excellent performance characteristics and good torque curve make the base engine from the production version of the BMW M3 predestined for use in motorsport.
The fitting of the V8 engine had a considerable influence on the development of the BMW Z4 GT3. Initially, design-space examinations were performed using CATIA V5 design software, in order to place the engine in the ideal position and meet racing specifications. The engineers then added all the other components.
When it comes to electronics, the private teams can look forward to innovative BMW solutions, which have already been tried and tested on the BMW M3 GT2: the modern ECU408 takes over the engine management, while the Power400 electronic control unit is responsible for controlling all the actuators. The power is transmitted through a six-speed, sequential gearbox with “Quick Shift” function.
Rims with central locking and safety clip are also included in delivery. In addition, the BMW Z4 GT3 also offers driver assistance systems such as racing ABS and traction control, which have been adopted from other cars in the customer racing range, and then further developed and modified for use in the GT3 car.
The front axle of the BMW Z4 GT3 is a completely new design, based on a series concept. It is equipped with a tubular stabiliser bar with adjustable blades. The rear axle is designed as a longitudinal link axle, as with the series version of the BMW Z4. The steel body of the car comes from the BMW Plant in Regensburg. A safety cell made of extremely rigid, precision steel tubing is then welded into the body. The engine block of the V8 engine is produced in the BMW foundry in Landshut. The BMW Plant in Dingolfing contributes the rear axle differential and drive shaft, among other things.
During the development, BMW Motorsport engineers worked hand in hand in other areas with their colleagues from series production. This allowed them to access calculations from the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) when designing the car’s aerodynamics. Furthermore, tests were also carried out in the wind tunnel and on the BMW Group’s test benches.
Rims with central locking and safety clip are also included in delivery. In addition, the BMW Z4 GT3 also offers driver assistance systems such as racing ABS and traction control, which have been adopted from other cars in the customer racing range, and then further developed and modified for use in the GT3 car.
The front axle of the BMW Z4 GT3 is a completely new design, based on a series concept. It is equipped with a tubular stabiliser bar with adjustable blades. The rear axle is designed as a longitudinal link axle, as with the series version of the BMW Z4. The steel body of the car comes from the BMW Plant in Regensburg. A safety cell made of extremely rigid, precision steel tubing is then welded into the body. The engine block of the V8 engine is produced in the BMW foundry in Landshut. The BMW Plant in Dingolfing contributes the rear axle differential and drive shaft, among other things.
During the development, BMW Motorsport engineers worked hand in hand in other areas with their colleagues from series production. This allowed them to access calculations from the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) when designing the car’s aerodynamics. Furthermore, tests were also carried out in the wind tunnel and on the BMW Group’s test benches.
Front and rear wings, bonnet, roof, fender and many other components are made of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP). Using this lightweight, torsion-resistant material contributed significantly to reducing the weight of the BMW Z4 GT3 to 1,200 kilograms.
As with all cars in the BMW customer racing range, the emphasis was also put on cost-efficiency when developing the BMW Z4 GT3. As a result, the car offers a very good cost/performance ratio and gives private teams the opportunity to participate in affordable motorsport at the highest level.
The BMW Z4 GT3 is available as a racing car at a cost of 298,000 Euros (plus VAT).
As with all cars in the BMW customer racing range, the emphasis was also put on cost-efficiency when developing the BMW Z4 GT3. As a result, the car offers a very good cost/performance ratio and gives private teams the opportunity to participate in affordable motorsport at the highest level.
The BMW Z4 GT3 is available as a racing car at a cost of 298,000 Euros (plus VAT).
Finally, a Z4 with the M3's V8 engine? Well, yes and no. See, while the Z4 GT3 does indeed get a tweaked version of the M3's V8, it isn't a street-legal model like the M3 GTS but a thoroughbred racing car that has been developed for private teams by the Bavarian firm's Motorsport division. Now that we've cleared that up, let's see what the Z4 GT3 is all about.
While we don't have any photos of the Z4 racer yet (the standard Z4 sDrive35i is pictured here), BMW Motorsport has revealed numerous details of the car on its dedicated website.
The Z4 GT3 has been designed to compete in international and national championships in accordance with GT3 regulations including the FIA GT3 European Championship, International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters as well as in 24-hour endurance races.
The hardtop roadster is powered by a specially-prepped version of the M3's 4.0-liter V8 engine producing 480-horsepower which is channeled to the rear wheels through a specific sequential, six-speed gearbox.
Other upgrades include are said to include special alloy wheels with locking and safety clips, as well as a racing ABS system.
BMW Motorsport stated that the Z4 GT3 racer will go on sale for private teams fron the second quarter of 2010 at an estimated price of €298,000 or about US$430,000, not including taxes.
BMW has delivered the first examples of its Z4 GT3 racer to private teams that will prepare them for use in various national and international championships.
Developed by the Bavarian automaker's Motorsport division, the Z4 GT3 swaps the standard model's straight-six for a 4.0-liter V8 engine with 480HP similar to the unit used in the M3 GT2 racer. The power is transmitted to the rear-wheels through a six-speed, sequential gearbox with "Quick Shift" function.
Aside from various safety and mechanical upgrades including a roll cage and a new front axle design, the Z4 GT3 also gets front and rear wings, bonnet, roof, fender and many other components made of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), which helps reduce the car's weight to 1,200 kg or 2,645 lbs.BMW said that the Z4 GT3 is available at a cost of €298,000 or about US$403,000 at today's exchange rates.
The Germans at G-Power have released their first take on the second generation BMW Z4 E89 hardtop-roadster. The tuning firm's performance package for the new Z4 includes a power kit for the sDrive 35i's 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline six engine along with suspension and wheel/tire upgrades. We suspect that it won't be long before G-Power unleashes a 400HP+ beast based on the Z4 but until then, let's see in detail what the company has prepared for the German roadster starting off with the engine kit.The Z4 sDrive 35i's twin-turbocharged inline six benefits from the BI-TRONIK performance module that that pushes the factory engine's output from a standard 306HP and 400Nm (295-lbs/ft) of torque to a more satisfying 345HP and 480Nm (354-lbs/ft) of torque. G-Power claims that with this kit, the 345HP Z4 Roadster can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.7 seconds, or half a second faster than the factory model.
G-Power's offerings also include a new coil-over suspension and a more sonorous stainless steel sport rear muffler with four tail pipes. While the tuning firm has not released any type of aero parts (yet), Z4 owners can equip their car with a new set of 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber (255/30 ZR 20 up front and 295/25 ZR 20 at the rear).And now for the prices. The cost for the 20 inch alloy wheels along with the Michelin tires is €4,474 while the coil-over suspension is €1,256 and the rear muffler, €1,508. As for the engine kit, prices have been set at €1,978 but unless you know your way around the engine bay, you'll have to pay another €403 to get it installed.
BMW has lifted the covers on its brand-new 2009 Z4 roadster that will make its world debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 11. By far the most significant change on the new Z4 concerns the replacement of the canvas roof top with a retractable hardtop essentially eliminating the need for a coupe version.The two-piece lightweight aluminum shell opens and closes at the touch of a button within 20 seconds
Even though BMW's designers retained the current Z4's classic long-bonnet, short-overhang proportions, the car's styling has been smoothed out featuring less fussy details. One element we're not too fond of are the relatively large tail lamps, but we'll have to wait to see the car up close for our final judgment. The new Z4 is slightly larger than its predecessor thus promising to offer more comfort in terms of cabin and luggage space. BMW's new roadster is 5.8" (147mm) longer, 0.4" wider (10mm), and 0.3" (8mm) lower than the outgoing model while its wheelbase has grown 0.1" (2mm) to measure 98.3" (2.497mm).Inside the styling is evolutionary with the cabin sporting new air-condition and radio controls as well as the latest generation of BMW's iDrive system which is combined with a larger 8.8'' screen. The Bavarian automaker claims that the boot space is 310 litres with the roof up and 180 liters with the top stowed away in the trunk.
The Z4 will be available with three direct-injection inline six-cylinder engines. The range in Europe starts with the awkwardly named sDrive23i, a 204 HP 2.5-liter unit that accelerates the Z4 from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 6.6 seconds (7.3 sec for the Sport Automatic) and a top speed of 151mph / 242 km/h (149mph).The sDrive30i, which will be the entry-level model for the North American market, is equipped with a 255 HP 3.0-liter straight six. This version goes from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds or 6.0 sec with the optional sport automatic.
The range flagship is BMW's acclaimed 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine that produces 306HP at 5,800rpm. The Z4 sDrive35i powers its way from zero to 62mph in 5.2 seconds (5.1 seconds for a 7-Speed Double Clutch Transmission-equipped car) and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph - 250 km/h.
All Z4 models are equipped with BMW's Efficient Dynamics technology that includes Valvetronic engine management, brake energy regeneration, a gear-change indicator and tires with reduced rolling resistance. BMW has also added to the standard equipment an adaptive three-position Dynamic Drive Control system that allows the driver of the new Z4 to choose the drive characteristics of the car. 
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