Purists rejoice: BMW's Z4 is getting a manual
Maybe you've noticed, but sporty manuals have been making a comeback recently. The VW Golf GTI has a special edition manual; the BMW M2 has a manual option; and Toyota is killing it with its manuals, with the Supra at the top of the GR manual pecking order.
Given the striking similarities and considering the shared DNA, the announcement of the manual Supra immediately sparked my curiosity about the possibility of a similar addition to the Z4. It seems that BMW couldn't resist the temptation of equipping its coupe, the 2025 Z4 M40i, to be specific, with a 6-speed transmission.
The Z4 M40i still packs a punch as a manual, producing 285kW and 502Nm from its Twin-Power Turbo inline-six. This is enough to propel the Z4 from 0-100km/h in only 4.6 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds slower than the 8-speed auto. If the manual Supra is anything to go by, working through the gears will be a satisfying exercise.
The small team behind the project gave it the original name, "handschalter," or "hand shift," which BMW has also adopted. In addition to the manual gearbox, this skilled team additionally fitted the car with 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in the front and 20-inch M wheels at the rear. The attention to detail goes far beyond simple modifications, though. The manual Z4 will also get enhanced suspension tuning, new paint colours, and interior trim with what promises to be a highly desirable sporstcar.
At this moment in time, the manual package will add a further $3,500, or R65,590, to the standard Z4 M40i price. Normally, a manual that costs R65k more than the auto would raise concerns, but the number of extras included in the manual package should easily compensate for the extra capital.
The question now is how this manual gearbox stacks up against the Supra's Toyota-developed system. The Toyota 6-speed gearbox takes some getting used to, but it's an incredibly engaging gearbox. Maybe we will see the same gearbox from the M2, which could pose the question of whether the manual Z4 will be a special-order option in South Africa like the M2? Only time will tell.
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