BMW Z4 Handschalter 2025 review – manual improves Munich's Boxster rival

At the eleventh hour, after five years in production, BMW has decided put a six-speed manual in the six-cylinder Z4, creating the Z4 M40i Handschalter, or hand shift. Logically, a manual is regressive, fitting one to a long-established model especially so given car makers’ efforts to lower their corporate CO2 levels. Today’s automatic ’boxes deliver better economy and performance and are responsive enough to not impede the process of a good drive. Thing is though, the Z4 isn’t a logical, practical choice, and a manual might give it some much-needed driver engagement and appeal. 

Until now, you could only have the BMW Z4 with an eight-speed ZF auto and, to be honest, it seemed to fit the aspirations of the model and its customers. Why the change of heart? Probably not market pressure because the Z4 has been consistently the biggest seller in this roadster segment, finding a big market in Germany, the UK and the US. Perhaps the reason for the late change of heart is more prosaic.

Basically, the work had already been done. The Z4 was built in collaboration with Toyota who got the Supra, the two marques avoiding direct sales conflict by dint of the BMW being available only as a convertible and the Toyota only as a coupe. However, underneath they share the same basic platform, suspension and drivetrains and are built at the same Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria, and early on Toyota employed ZF to fashion a six-speed manual to mate up with the BMW 3-litre straight-six. 

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So for BMW the manual was pretty much off-the-shelf. They say the Z4 ’box uses ‘M-specific components for the gear set and shafts, along with a custom-made shift lever and linkage’, which is pretty close to Toyota’s description of the work that went into creating the Supra gearbox. Meanwhile, a look at the technical specs reveals that the gear ratios and final drive of the Z4 and Supra are identical. 

There’s more to the Handschalter Pack than just three pedals and a gear lever, though. The model also gets a revised chassis with new, mixed size wheels – 19s at the front, 20s at the rear – stiffer front anti-roll bar mounts and revised tuning of the steering, rear dampers and adaptive M-differential. The distinct colour you see here is ‘Frozen Deep Green’, a unique colour for the model that is paired with ‘Congac’ leather interior trim. Coincidentally, when Toyota launched the manual Supra it did so with a special edition with matt paint and Congac leather…

> BMW M4 2025 review – a brash, bruising and exciting Porsche 911 rival

The Z4 is a rather lumpy looking car though, somewhat unresolved. The still excellent BMW rotary controller for the now last-generation HMI remains. The first and most vital use for this, which will have you pulled over at the side of the road within a few miles, is to seek out how to disable the intensely annoying and overly sensitive lane keep assist of both cars. 

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Push the start button and the classy beat of the BMW-sourced, 335bhp, single-turbo in-line six sounds gorgeous and, perhaps as you’d anticipate with a single turbo rather than a pair smaller lighter turbos, it takes a few revs to really get going and builds to an appealing crescendo. The manual saves 15kg over the auto ’box, yet despite that and a lower final drive, it’s a couple of tenths slower to 60mph. But that’s not the point. 

The lever is topped by the time-served, almost teardrop-shaped BMW knob, and the shift is fairly light but well-defined and usefully robust, not as elastic or knuckly as earlier BMW manuals tended to be. It’s paired with a reasonably weighty, easily modulated clutch, though some credit for ease of use needs to be given to the outstanding engine mapping of the straight-six. There’s automatic rev-matching too which you can switch off but it’s so subtle you simply assume that you’re acing every heel and toe downshift. 

> BMW Z4 M40i Handschalter v Toyota Supra – manual sixes go head-to-head

The bespoke Handschalter chassis mods have created a Z4 that feels quite different and works off a surprisingly robust platform for a convertible. Pop the bonnet and you’ll see aluminium braces running from the strut tops to the slam panel and there must be plenty of hidden strengthening to compensate for the open cockpit because it quickly becomes obvious that the Z4 has remarkable structural integrity. There’s the odd faint trim twitter but hood down there’s a total absence of shimmie and shake (and very little wind buffeting), and building on this solidity, the handling of the Z4 feels well balanced and composed, even on some of the gnarliest roads West Yorkshire has to offer. 

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It has an abundance of grip too, being shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, 265/35s at the front and massive 295/30s at the rear, so you can carry speed with confidence. The bit that’s missing is the steering feel. The fat-rimmed wheel feels a bit squidgy and lacks the detailed feedback that allows you to place it with precision, so while you can admire the handling and exploit the strong grip and traction out of tight corners, you don’t feel as involved and in charge as you should be. 

BMW claims 50:50 weight distribution and the Z4 does feel like the two ends share the load equally. There’s a lovely sense of poise and powering out of corners it hooks up and drives out with little fuss. Yet despite being a powerful, rear-drive sports car with direct throttle connection, you don’t feel encouraged to go looking for oversteer. 

The Z4 has never been so composed but, as with other models, there’s little feedback to tell you how hard you’re pushing. So while the Handschalter is the most accomplished and engaging Z4 yet, in large part thanks to that slick, positive and easy shift, it’s still more of a cruiser than a scratcher. 

Price, specs and rivals

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The Z4 Handschalter is no limited-run special. It’s available to order like any other Z4 and while it was only available in Frozen Deep Green, more hues are available for 2025, albeit at a sturdier £65,710 list price than when launched. It wades into an enduringly sturdy segment of manual sports cars. The most obvious alternative is the much more expensive Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, which can also pair its silky six-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual ‘box. It should come as no surprise the Porsche is the more composed, engaging sports car, if not possessed of the same long legs and grand touring credentials as the Z4.

Look further afield and the Lotus Emira V6 manual will hove into view, offering less weight and more performance, albeit without the option of open-air motoring. Look even further affield (and even further up the pricing spectrum) and you’ll find the new Morgan Supersport, which uses a weaker 335bhp version of the B58 engine paired exclusively with the eight-speed ZF transmission. It however does bring an incredibly special design, bespoke fit and finish and according to Morgan, a still raw but more contemporary driving experience than the Plus Six it replaces. We’ll report back on how much truth is in that very soon.