BMW Z4 review

The Z4 has changed. This current G29 generation is sportier than the last – the previous generation, with its folding hardtop and cuddly dynamics, took aim mostly at the Mercedes SLK. The third-gen that first arrived back in 2018 has a fabric top, dropping the weight and centre of gravity. 

Interesting! Tell me more…

Hello internet, the ’Ring time is comfortably under eight minutes. That’s all you wanted to know, isn’t it? The Z4's physical dimensions are good for hot laps. The wheelbase is shorter than the previous generation’s by a huge 20cm, for agility. The track is much wider, for grip. The body is a whole lot stiffer than the old Z4's, and it's light.

The front suspension, unlike other BMWs, mounts to a special aluminium subframe for precision. Those aren't the only declarations of intent. The hotter Z4 M40i's tyres come from the M4. Its brakes are M-developed too. There's an e-diff between the rear half-shafts. You get the gist.

Isn’t it basically a Toyota Supra these days?

Well, you can thank Toyota for the existence of the Z4. Toyota wanted a new Supra but didn't have a platform. BMW saw the roadster market softening and wasn't sure if it could sell enough to justify replacing the Z4. But sharing could satisfy the spreadsheet-jockeys. BMW of course is one of the staunchest global holdouts for straight-six engines and rear drive, two articles of faith for a Supra.

So, the Supra gets most of the Z4's basic engineering, which is BMW stuff. Engine, suspension and basic platform parts, and electronics too, come from BMW's current set. The Supra is tuned and set-up differently from the Z4. Both the cars are built at a BMW-overseen line in the Magna plant in Austria.

If it matters to you that a car has 'brand purity', you'll be wanting the Z4. If you want a roadster, that'll also be the Z4. The Supra, a coupe, plays to a different, JDM-infused vibe. So, despite the common rootstock, these cars legitimately appeal to different audiences.

Straight-six engines, you say?

Yep, there’s good news on the engine front. To prove its sporting bent, BMW offers a Z4 with an M in its name, the Z4 M40i. It's got a 3.0-litre B58 turbo six with 335bhp and 369lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds when paired with the eight-speed auto gearbox.

Happy with fewer cylinders? The only other engine option available in the UK in 2025 is badged sDrive20i M Sport. Translated from BMW jargon, that means it’s a turbo four-pot with 194bhp and 236lb ft of torque.

And what’s all this about a manual gearbox? 

The Handschalter Pack (that’s ‘manual switch’ in German before you start getting any rude ideas) is technically an optional extra for the Z4 M40i that arrived back in January 2024, but tick the £5,325 box on the configurator and, as well as a six-speed DIY ‘box, you also get a raft of chassis changes. Previously you were forced into having a tan leather interior, Frozen Deep Green paint and red brake calipers too. Not a bad combo by any means, but as of February 2025 you now have a choice of seven different exterior colours and four interior trims.

And just as Toyota vastly improved the sibling Supra with a manual, the Z4 suits a self-shifter perfectly. BMW claims that the gearbox itself was developed exclusively for this car, but it also admits that it’s a “modular transmission incorporating M-specific components” and a quick bit of research reveals that the gear ratios are exactly the same as on the Supra and the manual M2. For more detail click through to the Driving tab of this review. 

It looks a bit funky though, doesn’t it?

If there's no hardtop under there, Top Gear wondered aloud to a Z4 designer, why's the tail so bulky? We think unbecomingly so, but we didn't say that. Aerodynamics is the answer. At the other end of the car, the M40i’s jutting jowls are designed to help capture airflow and usher it past the wheels. If you don't like it, well, lower-spec Z4s have a slimmer front bumper.

Whatever the reasons, a measure of gawkiness afflicts the proportions of this coachwork. TopGear.com's comments section was very unkind about it when we first showed it to you back in 2018. Seeing it in the metal doesn't help. Shame. You want it to be handsome. Because more than any other kind of car, a roof-down roadster is an item of clothing.

Are there many rivals left?

The roadster game is changing and much of the old guard is gone. You can no longer have an Audi TT or a Mercedes SLK (which eventually became the SLC). The Jaguar F-Type is dead too, as are the Nissan 370Z Roadster and the smaller, more focused Lotus Elise.  

You can still have a Porsche Boxster with either four or six cylinders, but that’ll soon be turned into an EV. If electric power works for you, there’s also now the wacky-doored MG Cyberster. Thankfully, if you don’t mind your roadsters that little bit smaller, you can still have a Mazda MX-5.

How much will a Z4 cost me? 

Great question. In the UK prices now start at £45,830 for the entry-level four-cylinder, while the straight-six will set you back at least £58,180. Not cheap. For reference, a top spec 2.0-litre MX-5 is just under £35k in 2025.

Equipped with the Handschalter Pack, this is now the car that we hoped the current shape Z4 would be from launch. The other versions are still extremely competent – the chassis is properly athletic and it’s able to cover ground in a serious manner, but it’s a little bit too strait-laced and GT like with an auto box and not quite special enough with a four-cylinder engine. The sDrive20i is every inch the premium roadster, just with a slightly less cultured exhaust note 

The manual gearbox and straight-six engine combo is hard to argue against. We don’t even mind that BMW initially launched it in just one single spec. Green paint with a tan interior? Yes please. This is one for the purists. Let’s just hope they get their wallets out.