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BMW uses a manual gearbox to bring greater enthusiast appeal to its Z4 roadster

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It is well known in the industry that car names sound better in Italian. If Maserati’s GT saloon had been called ‘Four-door’, would it have seemed so exotic? If Ferrari’s manettino had instead been called the ‘little switch’, would you have been so keen to twiddle it? And what about the Fiat Type?

Someone at BMW must have thought the same could apply to German, because the subject of this week’s road test is the BMW Z4 with Handschalter Pack. Handschalter means manual gearbox (literally ‘hand-shifter’). And so, six years into the third-generation Z4’s life cycle, BMW has given the six-cylinder version of its long-running roadster a six-speed manual transmission for the first time. That makes it one of just three BMWs you can buy so equipped in the UK, alongside the BMW M2 and the 218i Gran Coupé (not for long, in the case of the 218i).

Given the plummeting popularity of new cars with a clutch pedal, it’s a rather odd decision, and the odd decisions don’t stop there. In the UK, the only way to get the manual is to option the Handschalter Pack, which locks you into the spec you see here. You better like Frozen (ie matt) Deep Green with Cognac brown leather interior and gloss black trim, because that’s the only spec available for now.

The car industry in 2024 is quite a risk-averse one, so we have to applaud a manufacturer for doing something a bit out there. Then again, that alone doesn’t cut it in an Autocar road test. Let’s find out if an enthusiast-focused going-over can revitalise this six-year-old model.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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02 BMW Z4 manual 2024 review front cornering

The third-generation Z4, codenamed G29, was launched back in 2018 and represented something of a departure – for the model itself, and for BMW. It lost the complicated and heavy metal folding roof and went back to a classic soft top.

A hard-top coupé version, as seen on the BMW Z3 and the original E85 Z4, has made a return of sorts, because the Z4 is twinned with the Toyota Supra, which has a different body and interior but shares almost all of the BMW’s hardware. Both cars are built on the same line at contract manufacturer Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Toyota later developed a manual option for the six-cylinder Supra, which may have prompted BMW to follow suit with the Z4.

The Handschalter Pack comes with a unique wheel and tyre combination. While the normal Z4 M40i has front and rear 19in wheels, this gets 20in items at the rear with 10mm-wider tyres than the automatic. In the UK, Z4s come with standard tyres rather than run-flats.

When the covers came off, the design of this generation of Z4 raised the odd eyebrow too. It was one of very few BMWs not to have the four horizontally positioned headlight units that have been a staple of BMW styling since the ‘E12’ 5 Series of the 1970s. The body’s wedge shape and clamshell bonnet also flew in the face of BMW design orthodoxy.

Since then, BMW has made only very minor alterations to the look of the Z4, tweaking the shape of the kidney grilles in 2022. This means that in 2024 it looks unusually restrained for a BMW.

The Handschalter Pack brings a number of visual elements to set it apart from the standard M40i. Aside from the colour combination we have already mentioned, look closely and you will notice that the model has different wheels too. The rears (but not the fronts) grow to 20in, and the Handschalter adopts a different Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyre with 255-section front footprints and 285-section rears.

Specifically for the Handschalter, BMW’s engineers have also retuned the Z4 M40i’s suspension, differential and stability control. Most of the hardware remains the same, the axles incorporating multiple links front and rear with coil springs and adaptive dampers. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential also features, as does a variable-ratio steering rack. The Handschalter gains auxiliary suspension springs front and rear, and a reinforced clamp for the front anti-roll bar, and the software for the dampers, steering and differential has been retuned for sharper handling.

The engines are untouched: the sDrive20i entry-level model runs the familiar B48 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, while the M40i is powered by the equally familiar B58 3.0-litre straight six. Both come with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox as standard.

The new manual gearbox itself is a modular unit “incorporating M-specific components for the gear set and shafts” to suit the B58 engine, and with gear linkages to suit the Z4. We note, however, that the ratios and the final drive are identical to those of the manual M2.

INTERIOR

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BMW has been on a button-cutting mission with its most recent models and updates. The Z4, however, has been spared and continues to look the same inside as it did when it was launched. This might suggest that it’s dated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We have criticised BMW’s recent user interface efforts quite a bit and stepping into the Z4 is a reminder why. Thanks to dedicated buttons and rocker switches for the climate controls, a tactile iDrive controller that can be used without looking at it and a row of eight configurable shortcut buttons on the fascia, the ergonomics in this cabin, and its easy usability, are exemplary.

To use the cupholders, you need to leave part of the armrest cubby open. Thankfully, it’s on the passenger side as BMW has adapted it for right-hand drive.

The touchscreen can be used to adjust detailed settings, but there are physical controls for everything you might want to use on the move. The digital gauge cluster, with its semi-hexagonal displays for the speed and tacho, still isn’t the clearest.

Similarly, the design and materials have escaped BMW’s latest obsessions with light-up plastic. The slightly rough, rubberised material on the doors and dashboard perhaps doesn’t shout luxury, but then this is a £60,000 car rather than a £100,000 one. Ultimately, it’s all fairly straightforward and no-frills, leaving the driver to concentrate on the driving.

To that end, there’s a typically purposeful driving position. While some roadsters have limited leg room, the Z4 makes tall drivers feel right at home with a classic straight-legged seating position. The gearlever is naturally positioned – further forwards than in the Toyota Supra. Like all BMWs on this platform, right-hand-drive Z4s suffer from pedals that are offset to the right, but they are spaced well and, after a short period of familiarisation, all testers got along with the set-up just fine.

Of course, storage space is at a premium in what is a relatively compact car, but what little there is has been used efficiently. The door bins are only big enough for pens and the shelf behind the seats is narrow. However, your phone can go on the wireless charger in front of the gearlever, and there is a small cubby and a pair of cupholders under the armrest for other odds and ends.

There’s one further cubby between the seats, which doubles as a ski hatch. The boot itself is surprisingly deep for a roadster, and because the hood is stored on top, it doesn’t affect the boot space at all when folded down.

Multimedia

The Z4 is one of only a few new BMWs that still run the brand’s old iDrive 7.0 system. The visuals may not look bang up to date, but they’re calm and far from ugly, and the usability is patently better in every way than the current 8.0 version found on most other BMWs like the X5 and i7.

Because there is still a good selection of physical buttons, the system can be concise and easy to navigate. The screen is touch-sensitive, but because the interface is optimised for the rotary controller, you tend to just use that. The controller itself has well-defined haptics – as do the shortcut buttons around it – so you don’t need to look down to use it. The built-in navigation system is mostly reliable in finding addresses, and rerouting you in case of traffic problems.

Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connect wirelessly and are well integrated with the system’s native functions. The Harman Kardon hi-fi sounds fine but is not a patch on the best audio systems.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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18 BMW Z4 manual 2024 review b58 engine

Our test day at MIRA was sadly a rainy one, so we failed to match èç the purely rear-drive Z4 M40i’s 4.6sec 0-62mph time. But if neck-snapping standing starts were your priority, you would surely be looking at a four-wheel-drive alternative with an automatic gearbox.

The bigger story here is this Z4’s generous in-gear performance. Taking just 5.9sec to accelerate from 30-70mph in fourth gear, it is substantially quicker than the more powerful M2 (8.0sec), which has the exact same gear ratios and rear tyres, remember. It also eclipses the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS (7.1sec).

You need to be in Sport mode to be able to turn off the automatic rev-matching, which is needlessly difficult. Heel-toe is a little awkward, admittedly, because the throttle sits too low relative to the brake pedal, but it's perfectly doable with some practice.

BMW’s B58 straight six is an extraordinarily flexible engine, more so than the more highly strung M-spec S58. Being in charge of gear selection at all times, you are made aware of this much more than with the usual quick-shifting automatic.

This truly is one of the great six-cylinder engines of our time. It’s not artificially shouty in the slightest, like so many modern performance car engines. Instead it emits a breathily smooth and cultured tone that is just prominent enough to be a perfect accompaniment to a brisk B-road drive. It’s classically BMW, and even someone coming from a 1990s Z3 would feel right at home.

Somewhat surprisingly for an engine that is not typically offered with a manual gearbox, it pairs beautifully with one. The generous torque means it is almost impossible to stall, while the reassuring but not arduous weight of the clutch makes that unlikely anyway. It’s entirely possible to drive the Z4 at low revs, using the low-down torque, but when you do decide to rev it out, it will oblige with glee. Thanks to the relatively low rev limit of 6500rpm and gearing that isn’t overly long, it’s also possible to take it to the redline in second without breaking the national speed limit.

The gearshift quality is typical modern-day BMW: short and precise, but quite notchy and rubbery. It won’t protest when the lever is flashed across the gate in anger, but gives enough feedback at lower commitment levels to let the driver finesse their inputs. It feels very appropriate to the car, even if some testers would have preferred a less stretchy, more solid mechanical feel.

RIDE & HANDLING

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BMW is known as the archetypal maker of super-saloons, but that has rarely translated into truly great sports cars. One might say that the Z4 is similarly afflicted. Go in expecting Boxster-rivalling poise and precision and you will be disappointed.

Although variable-ratio steering needn’t be a recipe for unpredictability, in the Z4 it is to a certain extent. You’re never 100% sure of how much more steering angle every extra incremental five degrees of lock will put in, and while the rim has a superficially pleasant oily-slick weight and feel, it never has much to say about grip levels.

Is the Z4 Handschalter peak BMW? With the glorious straight six, a manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, relatively restrained styling and a good-enough chassis, it just might be.

The tyre package, which as mentioned is aggressively staggered and uses effectively a previous-generation Michelin tyre, gives the Z4 a balance that trades turn-in keenness for traction. As a result, this car has little of the sweet throttle-adjustability of a Toyota GR86 or Mazda MX-5, nor the keyed-in feel of a Porsche or full-fat M product.

Over very testing roads, the body control can prove inadequate as the dampers struggle to keep the wheels in perfect contact with the road. Over some crests, the revs can flare up under power.

However, slow things down a tad, and the Z4 proves a very pleasant cruiser. At slightly lower commitment levels, the body control is unproblematic, and in fact it rides poorly surfaced roads with impressive suppleness when the adaptive dampers are in their comfort mode. For a convertible, the body also feels impressively rigid. Some shimmies are perhaps inevitable, but they are very limited indeed.

When not seeking ultimate precision, the steering is intuitive enough, and while the Z4’s handling lacks throttle-adjustability, the natural feel of rear-wheel drive does give it an edge over the now-departed Audi TT without ever feeling like a handful for the less experienced driver.

It all adds up to a platform that lets you enjoy the outstanding powertrain and the freedom of open-top motoring once you accept that they, and not the chassis, are the main attraction.

Track notes

Track use calls for the firmer damper mode, since there is too much body roll otherwise. So configured, the Z4 is an easy car to drive at moderate pace on a track. The Sport mode for the traction and stability control is relatively lenient, allowing a hint of wheelspin when powering out of corners. However, the Z4 naturally tends to understeer. Particularly in wet conditions, you can be left waiting for the front end to truly bite.

Oversteer requires deliberate provocation, so can’t easily be used to tune out the stabilising understeer. Once the rear axle lets go, it gathers angle quickly. While the steering is quick enough to catch any slide, the variable ratio makes holding it less intuitive than you would hope, keeping you busy at the wheel.

The Z4 M40i has more than enough performance to feel quick, even on an open track. The manual happily shifts quickly or slowly and the engine pulls hard at any revs. The automatic rev-matching function is excellent.

Comfort and isolation

Is it such a bad thing that the Z4 is not the sharp sports car you might expect it to be? Not when it does a surprisingly good job of pretending to be an ordinary BMW 3 Series for the times you’re not in the mood. While one shouldn’t expect any miracles given the short wheelbase and low-profile tyres, the Z4 actually rides well – both when faced with uneven Tarmac and bigger bumps.

The seats are outstanding as well. There’s enough padding so that they feel comfortable, but not so much that they feel overstuffed. They have all the adjustment options you might expect, and in addition to the usual ones it is possible to tighten up or slacken off the side bolsters. This means that drivers of any build will have sufficient lateral support.

If there is a disappointment, then, it is only a slight one, and it’s the amount of road noise at motorway speed on certain surfaces. We recorded 70dBA at 70mph, which is only 1dBA more than the Audi TT coupé, and 3dBA less than in the Porsche 718 Boxster. However, subjectively, the noise is much more noticeable on less well-kept surfaces.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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01 BMW Z4 manual 2024 review front driving

Prices for the six-cylinder Z4 M40i start at £57,350, undercutting the car’s closest rival, the Porsche Boxster GTS 4.0, by a chunky £20,000. It comes reasonably well equipped, though you will want to add a few option packs, which aren’t unreasonably priced.

The most notable option is, of course, the £5325 Handschalter Pack that’s the subject of this road test. Locking buyers into one particular colour combination seems unnecessarily restrictive to us, but BMW says it has already seen strong interest in the model, and may consider other model configurations in future if the demand from customers is there.

Spec advice? You can have any colour combination, so long as its matt green with a brown interior. Good thing it’s a classy spec. Make sure to add the Comfort Pack for keyless entry and a heated steering wheel.

We have come to know the B58 straight six as quite an efficient engine given its capability. At a cruise with the roof up, an MPG in the mid-30s is possible. This is slightly less than what we have seen from some other cars with this engine, which can be attributed to the relatively short gearing (2600rpm in top at 70mph). Our overall average dipped below 30mpg because it included performance testing and because it is almost impossible to resist exploring the full rev range.

VERDICT

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21 BMW Z4 manual 2024 review static

Colour us surprised but delighted that the manual BMW Z4 sneaked past the bean counters. What’s more, a right-hand-drive version has made it to the UK, and all of this has happened quite late in the Z4’s life cycle.

Most buyers will undoubtedly continue to choose the automatic version, and there’s little wrong with that, but experiencing the outstanding 3.0-litre straight six with a manual gearbox opens up a new dimension of involvement. The Z4 M40i with Handschalter Pack feels like a classic BMW roadster of a kind that we haven’t seen for a while, and may seldom see again. Its interior layout is pleasingly traditional too.

This sort of performance and engagement suggests that the Z4 is a true sports car but, in reality, the unintuitive steering and stability-biased chassis set-up stop it from being a really credible 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 rival.

Instead, it’s more of an alternative; one that is cheaper, more comfortable and works better when you just revel in that wonderful engine at moderate pace. In a market where simple but involving cars are becoming scarce, it’s good to have options.

Illya Verpraet

Illya Verpraet Road Tester Autocar
Title: Road Tester

As part of Autocar’s road test team, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews, comparison tests, as well as the odd feature and news story. 

Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s eight-page road tests, which are the most rigorous in the business thanks to independent performance, fuel consumption and noise figures.

BMW Z4 First drives