These are sad days. The BMW Z4 is officially dead, as the final one just rolled off the assembly line in Graz, Austria. While the Z4 was never a perfect sports car, and occupied a weird space in a segment dominated by the Porsche Boxster, it was one of the most interesting modern Bimmers and deserves to be remembered as such. I’ll even go as far as to say that the Z4 M40i with the Handschalter package (manual transmission) was the best driving BMW on sale while it existed. And now we have to head into a future without any BMW Z car, and without a successor in sight.
It isn’t surprising that BMW killed off the Z4, given that it was a bit of a sales dud outside of its first and last years on sale. In 2019, BMW sold 15,827, a height it’d never reach again. In 2025, BMW only sold 9744 Z4s. Admittedly, sales did jump a bit in 2025 and 2026, thanks to the introduction of the Handschalter package, giving the Z4 the third pedal it so sorely needed, and thanks to the news that the model nearing its end.
Photo: BMW
Will there be another convertible Z car anytime soon? Unfortunately not. That doesn’t mean BMW will ever make another Z, it’ll just take some time. In fact, BMW recently sounded pretty confident that a convertible sports car would make a comeback, just that it’d be electric and wouldn’t return for a while. “Not that tomorrow we will announce whatever, but that BMW will always look into sports cars, yes, and that EVs have a space in sports cars, also. So, I would say not unlikely, but not something that will be imminently launched next year,” BMW brand and product management Bernd Koerber told media in March.
Photo: BMW
The now-departed G29 BMW Z4 was a great car, and my personal favorite Bimmer in the lineup while it lasted. It wasn’t the fastest, it didn’t handle the best, nor was it the prettiest. But it had a unique character, which isn’t something that can be said for many modern BMWs. It was this fiery little hotrod of a convertible that felt light, sharp, and sporty, but always wanted to rip its tires to pieces, at least in M40i-spec. With a manual, it was the perfect modern BMW sports car, while still being comfortable enough to use everyday. I’ll miss the Z4 but will be scouring auction sites and classifies for a manual M40i in a few years.
