The Toyota GR Supra has a manual gearbox now so the hardware is ready.
The recently facelifted BMW Z4 could be the last one ever.
BMW and manual transmissions are like rum and coke or gin and tonic (hey, it’s Friday…), they work so well together. In fact, more than Audi or Mercedes-Benz, BMW and row-your-own-gears transmission defined the era that made the Bayerische Motoren Werke AG car company great. And if all goes well, it will once more be offered with the Z4 roadster.
Modern BMWs are great, no doubt about it. But to most enthusiasts, true fans of the brand, the ultimate driving machines have always sported a manual gearbox. The Z3 and, up until a few years ago, the Z4 were always available with a 6-speed 3-pedal transmission. For reasons including costs and take rates, the manual ‘box was pulled from the Z4 menu.
But now, rumours about its return are swirling on the web and BMWblog reports that there’s a good chance it will be once more offered in the Z4. Supporting the rumour is the fact that the transmission exists in the GR Supra and that, most likely, the Z4 will not survive beyond the end of the current generation.
The BMW Z4 is a certified future classic and nothing says “desirable” to collectors more than a manual transmission. If BMW is to “pull the shifter”, it should happen for the 2024 model year.
