2024 BMW Z4 M40i manual confirmed
But only for the US at this stage, as BMW Australia plays down its interestBMW USA is gearing up to launch a six-speed manual version of its top-spec 2024 BMW Z4 M40i, however, at this stage there are no plans to launch the three-pedal roadster in Australia.
US outlets were recently invited by BMW USA to test drive a pre-production prototype fitted with the same six-speed transmission as found in its sister model, the Toyota GR Supra.
The DIY option was developed primarily with the US market in mind, said BMW at the pre-release event, which all but confirms the Z4 manual for North American release even though the production version is yet to be officially announced and likely won’t be for another few months.
As per the Supra, you can expect the three-pedal Z4 to be slower off the mark than its eight-speed automatic stablemates, but the slightly slower pace will likely be a happy trade-off for those who desire a more involving drive.
A manual transmission has been unavailable for the open-top Z4 roadster in any market for more than half a decade now and some have speculated that BMW has grown tired of the Toyota Supra hype, which kicked into overdrive with the release of a manual version of the mechanically identical Z4.
According to BMW Blog, the ZF-sourced manual was altered specifically for the Z4 with a shorter lever, linkage and throw, to deliver a unique shift action and feel compared to the Supra or any other manual BMW product.
It isn’t clear how the manual Z4 M40i will be priced relative the automatic version – ie: cheaper or more expensive – but we won’t be surprised if BMW USA follows a similar strategy to Toyota and offers the two transmissions for the same money.
It’s unclear whether it will be produced in right-hand drive and BMW Australia declined to comment when we asked if it’s interested in offering the three-pedal Z4 M40i locally, but we suspect it would be keen if it led to additional Z4 sales Down Under.
So let us know – would you buy a BMW Z4 M40i manual if it was available in Australia?
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