Unleashed in August 2018, the G29-series BMW Z4 offers a manual transmission since July 2019. But alas, the stick shift in question is available exclusively on the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder sDrive20i. Come March 2024, the 3.0-liter six-cylinder M40i will offer a stick shift as well.
The ZF-supplied transmission is available for an extra $3,500 in the US market. BMW calls the $3,500 package Handschalter, which is German for hand shift. In addition to the manual transmission, the Handschalter package further includes unique chassis tuning, 19- and 20-inch wheels, five choices of Vernasca leather upholstery, Extended Shadowline trim, high-gloss black mirror caps, and many paint choices, including Alpine White.
The most special of the bunch is the Handschalter-exclusive San Remo Green and similarly exclusive BMW Individual Frozen Deep Green. Specially designed flaps also need to be mentioned, with said flaps managing the airflow around the rear wheel arches. The 2025 BMW M40i Handschalter needs 4.2 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), whereas the ZF 8HP torque-converter automatic does that in 3.9 seconds.
Who cares, though? A roadster isn't about how quickly it goes from zero to 60 miles per hour. It's not about top speed either. To whom it may concern, BMW claims 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour). Not a true M car, but rather an M Performance model, the M40i Handschalter features the B58 turbocharged inline-six mill.
The M-specific S58 is derived from the B58, yet the Munich-based automaker couldn't make a case for a Z4 M. The previous generation, which is dubbed E89 in BMW vernacular, didn't get an M version either. The B58 is no slouch, though, for it produces 382 horsepower at 5,800 to 6,500 revolutions per minute, and 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 revolutions per minute.
Photo: BMW
If you know your BMWs well, you might also be aware that BMW lies about the B58's output figures. In the good sense of the word, that is, because the B58 makes a bit more power and torque at the crankshaft than BMW says it does on paper.
The M40i Handschalter's manual transmission is a different affair from that of the J29-series Toyota Supra. According to BMW, the gearbox incorporates M-specific bits and bobs for the gear set and shafts. BMW further claims that the outer shift mechanism (make that the shift lever, guide, and the connection to the transmission) has also been specially engineered for this application.
$70,945 after the $995 destination fee is quite a bit more than the Supra 3.0 with the manual transmission. The Japanese automaker's configurator lists the aforementioned version with a starting price of $56,495 including the $1,095 delivery fee. But then again, the Supra is a coupe rather than a canvas-topped roadster. Both are produced by contract manufacturer Magna Steyr.
Their VINs may begin with W for Germany, but in truth, both are produced in Austria. Be that as it may, bear in mind that the Z4 and Supra are vastly different in terms of driving dynamics. Supra program assistant chief engineer Masayuki Kai said that the Toyota and BMW development teams went their separate ways right after they agreed upon the hard points of the CLAR-derived platform. What's more, remember that a coupe handles differently from a roadster due to superior structural rigidity.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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