BMW Z4

BMW bills itself as the Ultimate Driving Machine, and its Z4 Roadster convertible is an ultimate top-down driving machine for the start of warmer weather. I’ve been fortunate to drive many fun, fast sportscars and can count on one hand vehicles that bring as many miles of smiles as the Z4 Roadster.

The peppy 3.0-liter 382-horsepower V6 twin-turbo engine that propels the Z4 M40i I tested is lightning-quick, the car’s classic low-slung chassis causes it to hug the road the way ae mussel clings to a rock, and the driving dynamics are a near-perfect balance between challenging and comforting. The small two-seater is impractical for anything more than a Sunday drive or weekend excursion, but the raison d'être of the Z4 is pure performance pleasure – practicality be damned.

Two Flavors of Fun

The 2025 BMW Z4 comes in two flavors: the high-performance M40i I tested starts at $66,450 and the Sdrive 30i starting at $54,050 has a 2.0-liter 255-horsepower twin-turbo 4-cylinder engine. Both are rear-wheel drive and come with an 8-speed automatic transmission, while my M40i test vehicle had an optional 6-speed manual transmission.

While the BMW Z4 Roadster is a dedicated performance vehicle, it doesn’t skimp on creature comforts and has a high-quality interior featuring luxury materials like leather and piano-black and chrome-like surfaces. The heated M Sports leather seats’ generous side bolsters keep the driver and passenger firmly planted while the Z4 is being flung around sharp curves and the cockpit is driver centered.

The interior is surprisingly roomy for a two-seater, storage is ample due to a collection of clever bins and the trunk has enough luggage room for a weekend getaway. The ragtop roof that mechanically lowers or raises in about 10 seconds seals tightly and is well-insulated to keep road and wind noise at bay, while a standard wind blocker allows occupants to speak in conversational tones and not shout even at high speed.

BMW Tech Bells and Whistles

The Z4 has many of the tech bells and whistles of other BMW’s I’ve tested, such as a large and intuitive 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and Bluetooth for hands-free phoning and streaming audio. Three months of BMW ConnectedDrive Services such as real-time traffic, an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot and remote features such as door lock/unlock via a BMW app are also included.

The Z4 comes with a few standard driver assists such as adaptive cruise control and a rearview camera but others such as forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot assist are part of the $700 Driver Assistance package. My M40i tester also had the $1,250 Handschalter package (“hand shift” in German) that adds the 6-speed manual transmission, exterior bling including black side-mirror caps, M Sport performance brakes and M Sport rear wheels and tires. With these and other options and a destination charge of $995 the final sticker came to $74,520

The Drive & Verdict

This makes the Z4 quite a lot of convertible sportscar for the money compared to competitors such as the Porsche 718 Boxster that starts at over $75,000 and the Corvette Stingray that starts at about $70,000. The Toyota Supra that’s essentially a rebadged Z4 starts at $57,385 but is more basic than the BMW. While I’ve only driven the Supra, it’s hard to imagine a convertible sportscar with more capability for the price than the Z4 M40i or that its simultaneously mind-blowing and well-mannered performance won’t satisfy even the most demanding automotive enthusiast.

And if you need an excuse to buy an extremely enjoyable but incredibly impractical convertible like the Z4 consider that it’s also one of the most fuel-efficient sportscars in its class. The sDrive30i gets an EPA-estimated 25 city/32 highway mpg, while the Z4 M40i returns a respectable 22 city/29 mpg highway with the automatic transmission and 19 city/26 highway with the 6-speed manual. That and as the weather warms up, the BMW Z4 is unequivocally the ultimate top-down cruising machine.

by Doug Newcomb
Doug Newcomb has been writing about cars for more than three decades. He’s served as an editor at Road & Track, Edmunds.com, and Wards Auto and has written for Motor Trend, Automobile, Autoblog, Wired, Rolling Stone, and numerous other publications. He co-founded the C3 Group in 2013, which produced automotive technology events in New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and at SXSW in Austin and was acquired by Wards/Informa in 2018. When not at his computer, he’s usually driving a cool car or riding a surfboard.