Over two decades now, the BMW Z4 has been described as many things both good and bad. Probably never like a box of chocolates, we’d wager - but when it comes to the fast ones, you never quite knew what you were going to get. Following BMW’s creation of a wild child, cult hero Z4 M with the S54 3.2 straight-six, the consensus generally was that the best-driving original version was the 3.0Si Coupe. So BMW did the obvious thing and dropped both the M version and the coupe for the second model, creating a fairly forgettable folding hardtop cruiser. Bonus PH points to anyone who remembers the 340hp sDrive 35iS of 2011. Then the current G29 came along a few years back, promising a lot and never quite delivering on its potential.
Seemingly the emergence of the Supra, then even the Supra manual, was doing nothing to budge BMW on making a more driver-focused Zed. Then, seemingly from nowhere and with BMW apparently calling time on manuals, it decided to make a six-speed, six-cylinder, green-over-tan Z4 available. There wasn’t much predicting it, but this surely qualifies as one of the better BMW sports car surprises. At this rate, there will be a new M Coupe before we know it.
There’s been some proper effort invested in the Handschalter Pack manual, too, the transmission described by BMW as ‘developed exclusively for the M40i’ with ‘M-specific components for the gear set and shafts that has been modified for the straight-six engine’s output’. There’s no mistaking the HP when it arrives, either, its Frozen Deep Green reminiscent of the M5 CS and the staggered wheel setup - the first time it’s happened for this era of Z4, with 19s front and 20s rear - drawing further attention to the driven axle. Cognac leather is almost always a winner and, would you look at that, there’s a real manual gearlever in a BMW Z4. You can’t help but be curious.
Modified for this installation it may well be, but the six-speed remains a BMW modular transmission - and feels it. There’s that same notchy, rubbery, slightly indistinct feel, complete with offset pedals and a vague bite point. In some ways, it’s as faithful a recreation of a classic BMW manual as could be imagined. It’s better in some ways too, however, feeling like a slicker, closer shift than in something like an M2. The gate seems better defined and the throw not quite as long. Not perfect, then, but probably better than expected, and nicely sited in the cabin to give a good relationship between seat and wheel. The Z4 manual never feels like an afterthought, most importantly, which was always a lingering concern.
On the road, the very nature of a lever and clutch makes the Handschalter a more immersive Z4 experience. You’re doing more, learning more, exploring more of the car. All those silly little things possible with a manual and not really there with an auto - block shifting, blipping downchanges that don’t really need it, using too many revs to reverse - become second nature again. You’d swear this Z4 seems louder than previous cars with the same engine; the reality is probably that more revs are being used more of the time. Like a proper sports car, basically.
That being said, it’s the traditional hot rod vibe of the Z4 that the manual tends to exemplify. The slick-shifting auto always encouraged a more energetic driving style that the BMW never quite suited. It was always too distant and a little too imprecise to reward such an approach. Now, pleasingly, thinking about a corner a bit sooner and the gearchange so much more, the point and squirt nature can come to the fore. BMW’s Gear Shift Assistant is very good at rev matching, or you can do your own, though it’s still never the fastest shift in the world; once down the gears, point it at the turn, muddle into the apex regardless of whether Sport or Comfort steering mode has been chosen, then romp away on a mountain of torque, traction and straight-six swagger.
It isn’t necessarily delicate or sophisticated, but the entertainment value is undeniable. Those bigger rear wheels mean even wider tyres, 369lb ft now going through huge 285-section Michelins, so there’s seldom a battle for purchase. Like an old Healey for the 2020s, there’s something extremely evocative about sitting over the driven wheels, looking over a big bonnet with a lusty straight-six rasping away and choosing your own gears. Evocative, engaging, emotional maybe - all things we hoped for from the first 3.0-litre, manual Z4 in yonks. It’ll sit on the motorway at higher revs than the eight-speed, use a tad more fuel and accelerate just a little slower, which all feels irrelevant against the backdrop of a more engaging experience.
Previously, BMW manuals allowed the driver their own rev matching if the DSC was fully off - no longer. Now the assistant can only be disabled in the Sport Individual mode, along with the settings for the powertrain, damping and steering. Good news as heel-and-toe can be enjoyed with the safety net in place, bad news as it can be a fiddle on the iDrive (if you were in Individual and came out, then pressed Sport again, it’ll go back to the default Sport setting). Though no mix-and-match of modes quite delivers an ultimate driving machine, the sportier chassis settings seem a better fit for the M40i's heavyset, burly character. Comfort is then there for cruising around, looking cool.
Ultimately, the manual doesn't make an M car or a Boxster beater of the Z4, though it has added a welcome dose of charisma to a car that suffered previously for its short supply. As authentic, interesting performance car experiences appear to be so few and far between - and many very plain ones abundant - so BMW is to be applauded for indulging a niche it didn’t have to. The Z4 always has been and always will be a small seller, so the target market for a £60k flagship only offered in one colour scheme must be tiny. Yet the manual is here, and it’s good, and it deserves to be celebrated by those who care about such things - us lot, basically. The Handschalter Pack is proof that the manual still deserves a place in modern cars. But even if the trend doesn't catch on, there's still a brand new six-speed, six-cylinder, rear-wheel-drive BMW roadster for sale that looks good, sounds great and drives very nicely. If that’s not a reason to be cheerful in 2024, we don’t know what is.
SPECIFICATION | BMW Z4 M40i HANDSCHALTER
Engine: 2,998cc, straight-six turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 340@5,000-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@1,600-4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.6sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
Weight: 1,550kg (DIN)
MPG: 34.0-35.3
CO2: 198-191g/km
Price: £60,675
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