Breaking the trend!
Want to get back to your first drive? BMW has you covered! With the Z4 M40i for 2024, the manual transmission is back and better than ever! Not only is this move fulfilling many a driver’s wish, but it is a likely path in light of a recent boom when it comes to sales of manual transmissions in the U.S. And by boom, there have been nearly double the sales, representing a rise from 0.9 percent of new cars solid in 2021 to 1.7 percent thus far in 2023.
What we know so far!
This vehicle with the manual transmission option is expected to go into production in the first quarter of next year for approximately $3,500 more than the existing Z4 M40i, which has a starting price of $66,300. In addition to the six-speed manual transmission, the new M40i will have a third pedal as well as a wide array of upgrades and improvements over the base roadster.
Drivers will also enjoy their choice of two, exclusive-to-manual cars green paint jobs. While a name of this vehicle has not yet been revealed, enough change has been made to warrant one. That change comes in the form of an aggressive rear axle, a retuned suspension set up including stiffer front anti-roll bars, as well as reworked steering and recalibrate adaptive dampers.
Wheels are staggered, 19 inches up front and 20 in back.
The engine under hood in the M40i’s manual and automatic versions remains unchanged. It is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that BMW puts in just about every car it makes. This engine in the U.S. pumps out 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, powering the vehicle to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.
The six-speed transmission is part of a larger performance package, and will only be available on the six-cylinder M40i models. While choosing a three-pedal setup is sometimes a no-cost option, it’ll likely cost in the ballpark of $3,500 in the Z4.
This package includes among its features the electronically controlled M differential that comes on all M40i Z4s. The steering is retuned to allow more feedback for the driver, and adaptive dampers are better sorted for more aggressive driving.
Also, there are no plans to stick a manual transmission in the four-cylinder sDrive30i version of the Z4.
A total roadster package is found here, with the manual resulting in a true ultimate driving machine. The shifter itself is a huge step up from the same mechanical ZF unit that is found in the Toyota Supra for example. The Supra serves as a comparison because the addition of the manual transmission for the M40i comes a year after Toyota responded to public demand and gave the closely related GR Supra a six-speed manual option in the 2023 model year.
Back to the BMW — Shifts in the Z4 are crisper, more mechanical and all-out satisfying. This manual option undoubtedly improves the Z4’s suspension and steering. In addition, the vehicle’s transmission feels better than the M2’s six-speed.
It is important to note that the manual Z4 is not a limited-run type offering. Instead, the manufacturer plans to build as many as the demand requires, with the first manual versions of the Z4 slated to enter production in the first quarter of 2024.
The six-sped manual is exclusively available for just the M40i trim, with the rear axle assembly the unit from the M240i, meaning that an M Performance limited-slip differential comes included.
A long time coming to the U.S., the manual within the Z4 is a feature disappearing from many new cars these days. Getting back to your first drive has never been this fun! Be a part of breaking the trend, and reserve yours today!
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