The current BMW Z4 has offered a manual transmission overseas for years, and now the option is finally coming to the U.S.
Following a test drive of a prototype, Autoblog reported on Monday that the 2024 Z4 will offer a 6-speed manual transmission as an alternative to the standard 8-speed automatic, but only in the Z4 M40i grade.
The transmission is sourced from ZF, the same supplier for the 6-speed manual offered in the related Toyota Supra. However, the transmission has specific tuning by BMW for use in the Z4, just as Toyota gave the transmission a specific tune for the Supra.
The Z4 M40i is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 rated at 382 hp. BMW also offers the Z4 sDrive30i in the U.S. This grade comes with a 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at 255 hp and will continue exclusively with the 8-speed automatic.
2023 BMW Z4
According to Autoblog, the 2024 Z4 M40i will also receive a new chassis setup with 19-inch wheels up front and 20-inch wheels at the rear, plus an active differential, stiffer anti-roll bars, and revised steering and adaptive damping systems. The new damper system is designed to deliver a wider performance spread between the car's comfort and sport settings.
The current BMW Z4 arrived in the U.S. as a 2020 model and was given some minor updates for 2023, including revisions to the styling and an expanded color palette.
BMW continues to offer a manual transmission on a handful of models in its lineup, most of them from the M division. But the automaker, which is already phasing out dual-clutch automatics, has indicated that the manual is also on its way out. According to a senior BMW executive, the automatic will win out as it is more suited to electrified vehicles.
