When you get a shiver of anticipation just hearing a car fire up, you know good things are about to happen. In the case of the 2025 BMW Z4 M40i that throaty roar is just the auditory component of a powerful full-body experience.
Never before has a Z4 been this good – its performance lives up to the head-turning exterior. Add to that the sublime feeling of sun on your face and wind in your hair and this little convertible has just about everything you need in a sports car.
Including, for the first time in this model, a sublime 6-speeed manual transmission. The Handschalter (‘hand shift’ in German) edition of the car was created by a small team in Germany. They not only added the manual, but also retuned the chassis and crafted unique designs for both interior and exterior for the roadster.
This car is an instant classic. In its press materials about the car, BMW speaks about the heritage of the Z4 harkening back to the company’s early days of 6-cylinder sportscar racing with the 328, which won at the Nürburgring in 1936. While it’s no throwback, the car does have something of an old-school Teutonic feel about it that makes it seem both slightly utilitarian, and authentic at the same time.
In practical terms this means the car has a few flaws. Primarily our tester had some slight fit and finish issues and was a little noisy. The Handschalter is not overly luxurious, in spite of its brand and price. However, these do not compromise what the car really has to offer – a visceral, connected and sensory driving experience.
Powertrain: The engine and transmission combo is a gift from BMW engineering. The six-speed manual transmission is buttery smooth, and shifts can easily be made without the clutch. Downshifting under braking induces a rev-matching blip, which takes away the fun of heel-and-toe driving, but also lets loose a lovely series of burbles and farts from the exhaust when in Sport mode. Gear ratios are beautifully planned so rowing up from first to fourth is quick and entertaining, while at higher speeds, there is plenty of power left over quick accelerations.
The inline 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine makes 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, propelling the little beast from zero to 100 in 4.4 seconds. Power from the twin turbos is smooth, direct and plentiful.
Drive: The Handschalter roadster’s chassis is differently tuned from its automatic stablemate. In addition to the M Sport equipment that comes with every Z4 M40i – brakes, sport steering, differential and adaptive electronically controlled suspension – the manual has auxiliary springs at the front and rear axles and a reinforced anti-roll bar clamp at the front. BMW also reconfigured the electronic mapping for the rear dampers and the software for the variable sport steering. The traction control and M Sport differential also use model-specific controls.
The car is fitted with staggered wheels, with 19-inch rims up front and 20-inch in the rear. According to BMW this puts the power to the road better while predictably managing cornering forces.
Of course, none of this is apparent when you’re making those corners on a twisty road. The car is just stable and frisky as it powers through the bends. And if it’s not eliciting a little smile or squeal of delight, you’re not doing it right.
The car is a pleasure to pilot on the highway as well as backroads. With the top down, it’s summer personified – sunshine, warmth and carefree fun. Top-up and it’s a seriously fun sportscar, with power and cornering, great manners and road feel. Even in inclement weather the Z4 hugs the road. It didn’t even notice torrential downpours that sent other cars hydroplaning.
Interior: Getting into the Z4 takes some flexibility and practice. The seats are low and the door openings quite narrow. Once in, however, the seats are marvellously adjustable, with power bolsters and lumbar support as well as the usual controls. The tester was equipped with gorgeous Cognac sports seats, decked out with the tri-colour BMW M insignia, creating a subtle and elegant appearance.
The chunky wheel and perfectly positioned gearshift made for a great connection between driver and car. The head-up display is clear and easy to read. Driver information screens in the instrument cluster are swappable, with a choice of lots of detail or almost none. The latter option offers almost no detail about the car’s status, not even a fuel gauge. It was designed to avoid distraction, no doubt, but it was difficult while driving to scroll through the menus on the main screen to find out to change it.
Storage is this cockpit’s biggest downfall. There are cup holders inside the armrest, but when in use they get in the way of the driver’s shifting arm. That’s an oversight resulting from putting a manual shifter in a car designed around an automatic transmission. A little cargo net runs the width of the panel behind the seats, but it’s flimsy and spewed its contents under braking.
Exterior: With the top up or down, the Z4 M40I is a beautiful car. The long, sculpted hood and subtle black kidney grilles evoke an earlier era, while the stout haunches and low stance let there be no mistake that this car is sporty. It is particularly fetching in the Frozen Deep Green Metallic matte paint – a $6,000 option – which is exclusive to the manual models.
Infotainment: There’s nothing unique about the Handschalter’s infotainment systems. It deploys the same digital cockpit as other Z4 M40i cars. It offers Android Auto and Apple Car Play as well as BMW navigation and controls, along with a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless charging as options.
The Harmon Kardon sound system is excellent but struggles a bit at high speeds to drown out road and wind noise, especially with the top down.
If you’re in the market for a top-down roadster, with proper driving attributes, go drive the BMW. It’s only real competitor, the Porsche 918 Boxster, has less horsepower, a smaller engine, is slower off the mark and is nowhere near as pretty. For roughly the same money, I’d take the snorty, smooth BMW any day.
Price as tested: $96,000.00 (CAD)
Freight: Per dealership
Configuration: front-engine/rear-wheel drive
Engine/transmission: Inline 6-cylinder 3.0-litre twin turbo/ 6-speed manual transmission
Power/torque: 382 horsepower/ 369 lb-ft of torque
Fuel (capacity): Premium (52L)
Fuel economy ratings (L/100 km): 12.6 city, 8.9 highway, 10.9 combined
Warranties: 4-years/80,000km
Competitors: Porsche 718 Cayman, Toyota Supra
Website: BMW Canada