Manual gearboxes are an endangered species propped up by a small but loyal enthusiast following devoted to the three-pedal layout. It’s an even rarer occurrence when a manufacturer such as BMW announces a brand-new manual option for its vehicles, let alone one of its slowest-selling models: the Z4 open-top roadster. 

Why? Because they can, and because they want to. And because the shared-parts Toyota GR Supra has one. Still, BMW has been keeping the manual gearbox around longer than most, with the current M2, M3, and M4 still available with one. Adding a manual Z4 to the mix makes for a convincing case and it’s not unprecedented. The earlier Z3, Z4 M, and Z8 variants all came with manuals, and effectively combined open-air scents and smells with top-tier driver engagement. 

These roadsters were never track-focused weapons meant to demolish racetracks either, but instead were idiosyncratic cruisers meant to lap whatever roads you found yourself on. Whether on a canyon Road or in a suburban neighbourhood, the Z4 with a stick makes the journey more authentic and successfully heightens the sense of occasion. The cherry on top? The manual is a no-cost option, meaning it’s the same price as the automatic, a cool $82,000. 

You may encounter difficulty distinguishing a manual-equipped Z4 without peering through the glass. It’s an IYKYK kind of ordeal, but spot the unique black-outlined badging, black-gloss trim on the mirror caps, specially designed rear-arch flaps for better airflow, and the red brake calipers, and you know you are onto something. This Frozen Deep Green Metallic paint is exclusive to the manual as well. 

And what a sweet pairing it makes with the M40i inline-six engine. The 3.0-litre turbocharged unit delivers the same 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque as the automatic, and there are oodles of thrust no matter which gear you find yourself in. Truth be told, you can leave the Z4 in third or fourth gear in most driving instances and not even have to worry about shifting, which is helpful in heavy traffic when your limbs are beginning to numb.

This engine enjoys being revved to the limiter and the autonomy the manual offers allows you to fully exploit that without computer systems denying your paddle inputs. That means you drive this Z4 very differently than the auto-equipped model. You shift less, savour each gear longer, and linger to maximize the broad powerband. The auto had us shifting left and right to keep the needle in the sweet spot, but the manual has us firmly put, allowing the engine to shine and the vocals to sing. Slower? Maybe. More enjoyable? Absolutely.

But it’s not our favourite gear shifter. As with the M2 and M4 examples, the shift action is knobby and requires quite a bit of arm effort to shove into its gates. After getting out of the short-shifting, direct-action, rifle-bolt levers of the Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S, this BMW shifter feels messy and clunky, with overly long travel.

The travel in the clutch pedal is also painfully long, so the driver needs to compensate by sitting much closer to the steering wheel. Luckily, there’s a fair amount of seat recline in this two-seater and more than enough for my six-foot self. It helps that the wheel column telescopes an incredible distance, more than any vehicle we’ve ever driven. The head-scratching workaround for this for those who don’t have lengthy limbs is that you don’t actually need to fully depress the clutch pedal to engage its action. Just past halfway down is enough to clear neutral and slot into a gear.

BMW hasn’t just slapped in a stick-shift and called it a day. Knowing the type of customers that would purchase this green unicorn, they decided to create an even purer driving experience by retuning the chassis with unique auxiliary springs at the front and rear axles, adding stiffer anti-roll bars, and recalibrating the adaptive dampers, steering, traction control, and rear differential for sharper responses. The Z4 is also equipped with a staggered tire setup of 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, the first time in its model history.

And it shows. The nose is more eager to change direction, it’s honed in its maneuvers, and it’s stable and balanced when transferring weight from the rear to the front. The changes are subtle and not entirely palpable after a quick drive, but we’ve spent enough time with both Z4s to really feel the difference. We believe the primary factor is the staggered tire setup and the wider rear tires, which allow for a larger contact patch and, consequently, more rear grip. The Z4 is still rear-happy and adores wagging its tail with some mid-corner prodding, but it is more controllable this time around, preferring to understeer, which subsequently adds a heightened sense of security and balance at higher speeds.

We don’t expect BMW to sell many of these manual-equipped Z4s but we praise them for it. If their engineering and marketing teams were only focused on the sales numbers, this Z4 wouldn’t exist. The fact that it does proves that BMW values the enthusiast and listens to its customers, whether it is financially beneficial or not. Like many rare vehicles and oddballs, they are unfortunately often overlooked for years, and it is only when the model has been discontinued and depreciated that many of us finally discover its true value. This Z4 M40i 6MT will surely be one of them.

Specifications:

Model: 2025 BMW Z4 M40i 6MT
Paint Type: Frozen Deep Green Metallic
Base Price: $82,000
Price as Tested: $96,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six (B58)
Horsepower: 382 hp
Torque: 369 lb-ft
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, RWD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 12.1
Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport