Here’s the 2019 BMW Z4 M40i Up Close and Personal

“Finished in Frozen Grey, the sporty lines and shapes of the new car give a sign to its driving style,” the vlogger reports after seeing the Z4 M40i in person. The good looks of the soft-top roadster are complemented by a 3.0-liter inline-six, turbocharged to 340 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque.

In this configuration, BMW chose the eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF over the more traditional stick shift. Fret not, however, because manual-equipped versions of the Z4 and four-cylinder engine options are in the pipeline.

Sharing the CLAR platform with the 3 Series, the 2019 BMW Z4 features a roof mechanism that Shmee 150 describes as “very quick and easy to operate.” After all, a button is the key to opening or closing the roof, which is finished in anthracite with silver effect.

According to the Bavarian automaker, the Z4 M40i can do the 60-mph sprint in 4.4 seconds. That’s 4.6 seconds to 100 km/h for the European model. If you were wondering, the technical details for the U.S.-spec lineup would be released in September.

If there’s something we don’t like about the third generation, we can think of two things. First of all, BMW developed the G29 with an emphasis on cruising, touring, whatever you want to call it. And secondly, the Z4 M has been ruled out because… well, not even the automaker can give a proper explanation about that.

Last, but certainly not least, Toyota made tongue-in-cheek comments about the Supra in comparison to the Z4 on more than occasion. More to the point, it’s the Japanese coupe that has the upper hand in terms of handling. Oh well, to each his own.