In 1940, BMW entered five racers in the infamous Mille Miglia -- a 1,000-mile road rally through the Italian countryside that punished both drivers and their machines. The company managed to take a number of top honors that year, including overall victory and team victory. BMW walked away with first, third, fifth and sixth places in one of the manufacturer's greatest motorsports campaigns.

To commemorate the event, BMW has created 90 very special Z4 sDrive35is models. Each car will carry unique silver paint (the company calls it Polaris Metallic) along with a darkened grille and unique 19-inch wheels. A variety of special badges will also be scattered about the bodywork. While BMW has no plans to improve the car’s performance, you can rest assured that these models will be collectible in the future.

That brings us to why BMW has decided to make a special edition Z4 at all. Typically, manufacturers build unique models only once a vehicle has started to show its age. The thought is that a little unique paint, special wheels and badges will go a long way toward moving models that would otherwise have languished on dealer lots. Considering that the Z4 sDrive35is is in no danger of languishing anywhere, we have to wonder why BMW gave the car the special-edition treatment. Could it be that the company was really, truly just interested in commemorating its Mille Miglia victory? Anything is possible.