Toyota stunned fans by making the Supra accessible with a handbook transmission for the 2023 mannequin 12 months. BMW’s sister automobile, the Z4, stays automatic-only in America, however a latest report claims that the roadster will enter the 2023 mannequin 12 months with an accessible stick-shift.
Citing nameless sources, fanatic web site BMW Weblog wrote that the M40i variant of the Z4 may supply a six-speed handbook within the not-too-distant future. It appears like a ultimate determination hasn’t been made but, however the stick-shifted Z4 is “underneath energetic consideration” in Munich. And, whereas nothing is official, the report is definitely credible: If it suits within the Supra, it stands to cause that it suits within the Z4. The 2 vehicles are intently associated beneath the sheetmetal, the Toyota notably makes use of BMW-sourced engines, and so they’re constructed on the identical meeting line in Austria.
BMW Weblog added that the six-speed can be a part of a mid-cycle replace that may even embrace delicate design tweaks. We do not know if 2023 will deliver mechanical updates. As of writing, the Z4 M40i is powered by a turbocharged, 3.0-liter straight-six engine rated at 382 horsepower.
Whereas it seems that the entry-level Z4 sDrive30i will keep on solely with an computerized transmission, we must be grateful that we’re getting at the very least one variant with a stick. The identical report factors out that the Z4 M40i can be primarily developed for and offered in America, although consumers in choose European nations can order the Z4 sDrive20i (a base model not accessible in the US) with a handbook. BMW hasn’t commented on the report; if it is correct, the three-pedal Z4 will make its debut in late 2022 and attain showrooms shortly after.
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