[Westside Guy]

BMWBlog posted this article yesterday.

"The Z4 manual will be a future classic for BMW. The engineers built a true driver’s sports car."

https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/02/25/b...uture-classic/

[FrostyWinters]

Interesting read, but it feels like an opinion piece and no new information. Doesn't seem to me they've actually driven the manual Z4 for a second time.

[Kevin45E]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

BMWBlog posted this article yesterday.

"The Z4 manual will be a future classic for BMW. The engineers built a true driver’s sports car."

https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/02/25/b...uture-classic/

Nice article but the best part was this statement by Horatiu in the comments section after the article: “We will have a video review next week also.”

[Westside Guy]

It is too bad there wasn't a new James Bond movie where the Z4 could have been featured like the Z3 and Z8 mentioned in the blog's article.

[tracer bullet]

I've been hoping for more media on it, but then again maybe I should hope it's delayed until after I get contacted by my dealer to place an order (on the off chance I get beat out somehow).

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

I've been hoping for more media on it, but then again maybe I should hope it's delayed until after I get contacted by my dealer to place an order (on the off chance I get beat out somehow).

I can't imagine many convertible owners being located in the St. Paul area that would want the Z4. Isn't it SUV country?

[vertigo corsa]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

It is too bad there wasn't a new James Bond movie where the Z4 could have been featured like the Z3 and Z8 mentioned in the blog's article.

I would expect Bond in nothing less than a DBS.

[MisanoblueZ4]

Second time the G29 has been mentioned as a “future classic”…..similar article came out a year or 2 ago regarding the automatic Z4.

IMO the manual will be the hotter find in 20 years.

[stlcdr]

Originally Posted by MisanoblueZ4

Second time the G29 has been mentioned as a “future classic”…..similar article came out a year or 2 ago regarding the automatic Z4.

IMO the manual will be the hotter find in 20 years.

How many people will be in a condition (not trying to be morbid) to drive a manual in 20 years, though?

[mdoneinvt]

Well in 20years i’ll be 70 so still a perfect age to drive a manual. My father is almost 80 and still loves his manual 2008 wrx wagon he bought new in 2007

[jdf_nh]

The "future classic" buzz in the BWM fan press is clearly hype. In this case I suspect they might be right, but who knows.

In the meantime I am looking forward to continuing my almost 40 year streak of daily drivers with three pedals (Civic, Golf, GTI). I have also had access to an ICE 2 seat convertible for most of those years (Fiat 124 Spider, MGB). In both cases we are getting close to the end of new options. I appreciate the option at a moment when I can take advantage.

[MisanoblueZ4]

Originally Posted by stlcdr

How many people will be in a condition (not trying to be morbid) to drive a manual in 20 years, though?

I’m enjoying the auto and especially now with a torn rotator cuff lol. Driving a manual with a problematic arm would absolutely suck right now.

[David1]

We will all be dead before it is a classic.

[823BMW]

They always get excited that next thing coming is going to be a future classic, but in fairness, there won't be that many of these. BMW only sold 1883 Z4's last year and the majority were the 4 cylinder. Production of the Z4 is slated to end in two years (3/2026). I would guess only about 600-800 manuals will make it to the US over that time. I would also love to be wrong and have sales of the manual take off so they have an incentive to make more!

[RigaTony1982]

I just hope they come out with another generation at some point .

[Bimmerfun82]

I’m not convinced it’s a future classic. What is a present-day classic? My list would be:
Z8, Z4M coupe, E46 M3 CSL, E92 GTS. M2CS. 1M.

What do those cars have in common? Massive power. Supremely capable. And limited supply.

If BMW M can make a future classic, take this car and make it a coupe, increase the horsepower, and provide some special touches like better leather and carbon buckets. Go out on top!

That said, I’m happy they made it as these types of exhilarating machines are dying off. I have no doubt it’s a huge upgrade over the standard Z4.

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by Bimmerfun82

I’m not convinced it’s a future classic. What is a present-day classic? My list would be:
Z8, Z4M coupe, E46 M3 CSL, E92 GTS. M2CS. 1M.

What do those cars have in common? Massive power. Supremely capable. And limited supply.

If BMW M can make a future classic, take this car and make it a coupe, increase the horsepower, and provide some special touches like better leather and carbon buckets. Go out on top!

That said, I’m happy they made it as these types of exhilarating machines are dying off. I have no doubt it’s a huge upgrade over the standard Z4.

A new Z4 M Coupe would be my first 6 figure car if they made it.

[Bimmerfun82]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

A new Z4 M Coupe would be my first 6 figure car if they made it.

I think we are seeing a resurgence of ICE with the EV growth in demand pulling back with enough sustained EV and PHEV sales to enable Merc, VW group, and BMW to deliver some exciting cars.

The new CLE55 AMG is a return to form for Mercedes. It doesn’t match the M3 comp x drive, but it’s a sexy beast. And it’s an example of unsatiated market demand for cars like it.

With Porsche going electric as well with the Cayman (and mild hybrid sans-MT with more elements of the 911 992.2 range), BMW needs to respond in kind.

Pull the Z4 back from Magna Steyr and produce it as a full-blown M car. Make it a new gen and keep this thing going.

Probably a pipe dream.

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by Bimmerfun82

I think we are seeing a resurgence of ICE with the EV growth in demand pulling back with enough sustained EV and PHEV sales to enable Merc, VW group, and BMW to deliver some exciting cars.

The new CLE55 AMG is a return to form for Mercedes. It doesn’t match the M3 comp x drive, but it’s a sexy beast. And it’s an example of unsatiated market demand for cars like it.

With Porsche going electric as well with the Cayman (and mild hybrid sans-MT with more elements of the 911 992.2 range), BMW needs to respond in kind.

Pull the Z4 back from Magna Steyr and produce it as a full-blown M car. Make it a new gen and keep this thing going.

Probably a pipe dream.

A boy can dream, though!

[Bimmerfun82]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

A boy can dream, though!

It’s what I do!

[cayenne444]

Originally Posted by Bimmerfun82

I’m not convinced it’s a future classic. What is a present-day classic? My list would be:
Z8, Z4M coupe, E46 M3 CSL, E92 GTS. M2CS. 1M.

What do those cars have in common? Massive power. Supremely capable. And limited supply.

If BMW M can make a future classic, take this car and make it a coupe, increase the horsepower, and provide some special touches like better leather and carbon buckets. Go out on top!

That said, I’m happy they made it as these types of exhilarating machines are dying off. I have no doubt it’s a huge upgrade over the standard Z4.

1M had 335hp and weighed 3,296 lbs. That's 9.83 lb/hp.

Z4 M Coupe had 330hp and weighed 3,230 lbs. That's 9.79 lb/hp.

Z8 had 400hp and weighted 3,494 lbs. That's 8.74 lb/hp. It also started at $128,000 in 2000, which is $229,000 in 2024 money.

Z4 M40i Handschalter has 382hp, in the M2, the MT saves about 52 lbs, so the Z4 MT should be ~3,490 lbs. That's 9.14 lb/hp.

So it has a significantly better power to weight than the 1M and the Z4 M Coupe, and is in spitting distance of the Z8 at 1/3rd of the price. All of which I agree are classics.

Now factor in that BMW (according to goodcarbadcar.net) sold 1,881 Z4's in the US in 2023, including the 4 cylinder. Let's ambitiously say that half of those were M40i since it isn't broken down and call it 940 units a year of M40i.

On the M2 they've said around half of those buyers take MT. So let's just take that as an estimate here and say half of those M40i's are the Handschalter. And there are two years to sell it. Realistically there will probably be less than 1,000 of these sold in the US, and the 1M was the same.

Could definitely see it being a classic. The car has so much power and torque already, sure, bummer it doesn't have more than the automatic, but nobody ever knocked the M40i for being underpowered.

[Bimmerfun82]

Originally Posted by cayenne444

1M had 335hp and weighed 3,296 lbs. That's 9.83 lb/hp.

Z4 M Coupe had 330hp and weighed 3,230 lbs. That's 9.79 lb/hp.

Z8 had 400hp and weighted 3,494 lbs. That's 8.74 lb/hp. It also started at $128,000 in 2000, which is $229,000 in 2024 money.

Z4 M40i Handschalter has 382hp, in the M2, the MT saves about 52 lbs, so the Z4 MT should be ~3,490 lbs. That's 9.14 lb/hp.

So it has a significantly better power to weight than the 1M and the Z4 M Coupe, and is in spitting distance of the Z8 at 1/3rd of the price. All of which I agree are classics.

Now factor in that BMW (according to goodcarbadcar.net) sold 1,881 Z4's in the US in 2023, including the 4 cylinder. Let's ambitiously say that half of those were M40i since it isn't broken down and call it 940 units a year of M40i.

On the M2 they've said around half of those buyers take MT. So let's just take that as an estimate here and say half of those M40i's are the Handschalter. And there are two years to sell it. Realistically there will probably be less than 1,000 of these sold in the US, and the 1M was the same.

Could definitely see it being a classic. The car has so much power and torque already, sure, bummer it doesn't have more than the automatic, but nobody ever knocked the M40i for being underpowered.

Ok, but you have to compare it to vehicles at that time. It’s not really fair to compare modern turbocharged engines to Na from 10-30 years ago. Likewise the current B58 is great but not compared to its peers in the M and AMG world. And those classics can be modded as my buddy did with his 1M to put out over 400 hp.

On production it’s an issue of constraining supply as opposed to lack of demand, meaning it may be a clsssic to small group of people but not widely accepted as a classic. A manual transmission can’t be the only thing that makes it special.