BMW Z4 M40i: BMW NOW OFFERS A Z4M ALTERNATIVE

IT’S EASY TO romanticise the convertible lifestyle. Sun-soaked weekend jaunts along the coast and whimsical Sunday afternoons frequenting wineries and eateries is the kind of existence a drop-top suggests. Perceived elegance and luxury is part of the deal, one the BMW Z4 has traditionally pulled off with varying degrees of success.

- TRENT GIUNCO

Despite this, in our current context, the G29 BMW Z4 M40i has two coupe-shaped thorns in its side. On one hand, the M2 Competition offers more performance for less, while the circa $45K cheaper Toyota Supra is essentially the Z4’s twin under the skin. The former is an M car ‘proper’, the latter has a cult following.

As part of the well-documented Toyota-BMW co-development, the Japanese quotient spawned a two-door coupe, while the latter morphed into a convertible. The 3.0-liter inline-six is a gem and its single-turbo application produces 285kW (5500-6500rpm) here, a 35kW increase over the version that launched in the G29 Z4 M40i in 2018. Torque remains unchanged at a hefty 500Nm (1600-4500rpm).