Three pedals made the Toyota Supra infinitely better; can it do the same for BMW's staid roadster?
By PH Staff / Thursday, 14 December 2023 / Loading comments
Good news. It seems like BMW is finally poised to announce a six-speed manual gearbox option for the current Z4 M40i. Said to have been in the planning for some time – and obviously occurring in the wake of Toyota’s decision to offer a DIY transmission in the mechanically related Supra – the firm has evidently decided that it’s time to give people a better reason for choosing the roadster over its livelier rivals (chiefly the Porsche Boxster).
Revealed by BMWblog – indeed, they’ve had a go in a prototype – the new version is said to have been mainly developed with the US market in mind, where, lest we forget, the M40i’s B58 straight-six pumps out a pleasingly unhindered 382hp, not the 340hp it gets here. Moreover, BMW says the new gearbox has been developed specifically for the Z4 and gets different linkages to the Supra and a shift quality all of its own. With a shorter lever, it is said to be unlike any six-speed manual offered elsewhere in the manufacturer’s lineup.
In addition to the gearbox (which has still not officially been confirmed), it appears that BMW, like Toyota before it, has taken the opportunity to tweak the M40i more generally. A new rear axle assembly is said to come from the M240i, including its uprated differential, while at the front the anti-roll bar mounts have been reinforced and the adaptive dampers retuned for a newly staggered wheel size. Much as it did with the Supra, the modifications are said to be transformative, and rather what the punchiest Z4 needed to stand out as a proper flagship.
Better yet, BMWblog reckons it won’t be solely the preserve of the US market either. There are snaps of it testing in Europe, and given that it is built at Magna Steyr’s factory in Graz, it makes sense that it would be offered here – albeit still with the slightly more stifled engine. Whether or not the three-pedal M40i makes it to the UK isn’t yet clear, although it seems likely to come with a premium attached if it does. There are apparently rumours of a $3,500 premium in the States. You’d imagine it would be more keenly priced here, and at £57,295 starting, even a moderate markup would likely see it undercut the £63,800 you’ll pay for a 718 Boxster S. Here’s hoping, eh? More news when we have it.
- 2020 BMW Z4 M40i | PH Review
- BMW Z4 (G29) | PH Used Buying Guide
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