When you ask an enthusiast what his definition of the perfect BMW is, he will undoubtedly say that the car in question must, on the one hand, be equipped with an in-line six-cylinderand on the other hand they have transmission only to the rear wheels. And for those who want to go even further, this perfect BMW should also be equipped with a manual transmission.

However, with the passage of time and the tightening of standards, this recipe that made BMW such a success (almost) no longer exists. Indeed, in the range of the Bavarian manufacturer, only the new BMW M2 meets all the requirements, but also some BMW M3 and M4, unfortunately, are not sold in France.

A new “adversary”?

But in a few months, this clan of “adversaries” may be joined by a new model. Indeed, according to the BMW Blog, The Bavarian firm will work on the Z4 M40i with a manual transmission. In general, there is nothing surprising, given the fact that the Toyota Supra, which is a technical cousin of the Z4, has had this architecture for several months.

Obviously, such a car should be aimed at the enthusiast niche, and it is not necessarily said that it will be available in France if it sees the light of day. For example, the BMW M3 and M4, which are sold with a manual transmission in Germany, are not available in France.

Lightweight BMW Z4?

However, if a manual transmission BMW Z4 M40i were to appear, it would be a very limited special edition based on the recently restyled Z4. Contrary to what one might think, this won’t be a swan song for the Z4, even if, indeed, the current generation will probably be the last. The moon in this form and with this engine.

We will remind you that the BMW Z4 M40i develops a small thing 340 hp and 500 Nm of torque thanks to the 3.0-liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine. Its weight of 1,610 kg does not make it a ballerina, but the appearance of a manual gearbox will undoubtedly allow gaining from 50 to 80 kilograms.