BMW Z4 M a no-goer, but manual safe for now

BMW has revealed that the new BMW Z4 roadster it will reveal on August 23 will not be offered in high-performance M form.

Originally, enthusiasts hoped an M4-powered roadster was on the cards but, according to BMW M boss Frank van Meel, a replacement for the Z4 M is not going to happen.

"I think the M40i is the perfect positioning regarding the performance of that car," van Meel told US title Car and Driver, adding the new roadster's acceleration was already "quite close to the M2".

According to reports, the M40i's 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder will produce around 283kW. Factor in the Z4's light weight and, internally at least, there's fears that giving the small roadster any more power would see it overshadow the M2 and even, potentially, its bigger M4 brother.

BMW M's van Meel also cited lack of demand as another reason for not building a dedicated M model based on the Z4.

To help compensate for the lack of a Z4 M, the M40i will come with a different front axle, bigger brakes, a limited-slip differential and plenty of weight-saving parts like lighter wheels to boost performance.

The M boss also confirmed some good news for those worried that BMW was quietly phasing out manual gearboxes from its high-performance offerings.

Despite dropping the traditional stick-shift years ago from both the M5 and M6 models, van Meel says it will keep developing manuals until demand dies or fully autonomous vehicles are introduced.

"The bad news is that if we one day have autonomous cars, then the manual cannot work anymore," the high-performance boss told the US mag, "so that would be, let's say, the natural end. But that's still some time away."

Globally, van Meel says that in markets like the US, more than 50 per cent of BMW M2s sold have been equipped with the six-speed manual, proving there's still a sound business case for persevering with it.

“Buyers vote with their wallets for manual transmissions. Now, being an engineer, I would say from a rational standpoint that even though the manual gearbox is lighter than an automated gearbox, it uses more fuel and is slower, so it doesn’t really make sense . . . But from the emotional standpoint, a lot of customers say, 'I don’t care, I want to have one'.”

Van Meel added: “As long as we have these take rates on M2, and also the M3 and M4, we’re going to offer manuals, because we listen to our customers. Even though as an engineer I’d say we don’t necessarily need one. If demand is so high, then why not fullfil it?”