Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
So broaden your view to a global one instead of an NA one.
By way of background, I drove a 2500M in college. I developed an engine configuration while still in college that Peter Wheeler rather liked. So much so he flew me to Blackpool where I spent several weeks at the factory developing this engine which found its way into a SEAC and rather enjoying the 390 they lent me. Since we're on your side of the pond now I wonder how many folks know what I'm talking about here? I also had the rare pleasure of driving a Griffith (RHD) as a daily driver here in LA for a while as well.
My view is a global one....whether it was acquiring a Lamborghini Islero S and driving it through Germany and Austria for three weeks roadtripping mid-winter or a Maserati Ghibli Spider top down through Europe in the spring or an E36 AC Schitzer Evo M3, I'd say I'd know a thing or two about cars and perspectives on both sides of the pond.
The irony here is people are all off point with their arguments. My inquiry was not about how valuable monetarily my car is due to its rare configuration (Interior and exterior color, engine and gearbox), but simply how many cars like mine were built.
Where I live Aventadors and 458s are everywhere. Porsche Turbos are like taxicabs. Yet I have seen zero red Z4s here and I have had people comment on how pretty is car is and say they've never seen one before.
Heck, I paid $2000 to ship the thing from Boston to the West Coast. Why? Because it was rare.
Guilty as charged. Yes, I like to drive something different. So BMW makes around 2 million cars a year and over a nine year period they made 116k Z4s of all varieties and 16 or so million cars overall? Am I the only one seeing the math here? Last year GM produced nearly 41,000 Corvettes. As far as mass producers of automobiles go (BMW, Audi, Mazda, Mercedes, Ford, GM, Fiat, etc.) the Z4 is rare.
Now if folks want to get their panties in a pinch here that's fine. Their raining on their own parade. Is it their point that the E89 N54 Z4 is nothing special? Well then so be it. I have other cars in my garage that are.
The irony here is I could be the car snob and say how I have cars sitting in museums, cars featured in magazines, etc., and that the E89 Z4 N54 is the poorman's Z8 wannabe car. Yet not withstanding my 474 hp Z8 or other cars I don't berate the Z4. I think properly configured it's a performance bargain and, particularly from the side profile view, an stunning little car. I remember when my 993 Twin Turbo Porsche made 400 hp and how that was so amazing in its day (the poor man's 959).
Yet this little N54 motor can reliably and cheaply churn out 500 hp! While getting 25 mpg on the freeway?
That's a cool car in my book and as it is not as rare say as an 8C Spider or 550 Barchetta, it can be used and enjoyed without worry. (Putting the top on the Barchetta is a bitch and its too bad the 8C didn't come with a stick but its noise makes up for it.)
So if folks here want to berate their cars and prefer to think of them like any consumer appliance, so be it.
My inquiry was NOT about my car being a collector car.
I simply asked how many cars were made like mine....and no, not with fifty options but quite simply:
1. Crimson red
2. Exclusive Extended Ivory Leather
3. N54 Motor
4. Six speed manual gearbox.
Everyone getting upset about value and collectability is engaging in a conversation not started by me nor one that I'm interested in.
Too bad the original question remains unanswered.