There was an excessive amount of fanfare when BMW introduced the newest, Supra-sibling Z4 was getting a guide transmission. For the primary time ever, BMW’s solely true sports activities automotive launched with out a guide gearbox, and no phrase on whether or not it will get one. After years of tight-lipped reticence, the Z4 acquired its flowers solely after the Toyota Supra acquired its long-anticipated and fashionable guide gearbox. But this new “Handschalter” package deal isn’t fairly a Supra carryover job.
I acquired the possibility to pattern the brand new guide Z4 on my roads of selection for our newest YouTube video, and I didn’t count on a lot from it. Being a non-M product, I believed it will absolutely be a bit tender, missing in communication, and hold me wanting for a Z4 M revival. However I fairly rapidly fell in love with the factor. That is BMW at its perfect.
The curiosity is that BMW didn’t merely carry over Supra elements. It makes use of its personal linkage, which is objectively inferior to the Supra’s, however continues to be charmingly BMW. Longish. Rubbery. Notchy. Beautiful. It makes use of its personal throttle calibration, which is distinctly blippier and extra responsive than the Supra. Then BMW even retuned the dampers to higher swimsuit the expertise of the guide gearbox. It’s the identical previous gearbox that has been in nearly each guide BMW since 2005, the ZF GS6, and is similar because the Supra.
The guide Z4 is certainly one of BMW’s greatest efforts in a very long time, and it seemingly got here from a spot of ardour reasonably than efficiency targets. There’s one thing to this automotive I can’t fairly clarify on paper, so sit again and benefit from the sights and sounds of Bavaria’s hand-shifted roadster.
