X

2019 BMW Z4 M40i: Top-down, turbocharged thrills

BMW's new Z4 roadster is immensely enjoyable in its range-topping M40i guise.

Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
2019 BMW Z4 M40i
1 of 65 BMW

Here it is, the 2019 BMW Z4 M40i roadster.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
2 of 65 BMW

Two versions of the Z4 will be offered in the US. The M40i seen here will go on sale next summer, and we'll get a less-powerful sDrive30i variant first.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
3 of 65 BMW

The Z4 M40i is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 engine with 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
4 of 65 BMW

The sDrive30i, meanwhile, uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 with 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
5 of 65 BMW

If you're hoping for a manual transmission, you're out of luck. All US-spec Z4s will use an eight-speed automatic transmission.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
6 of 65 BMW

The power folding soft top can be retracted in just 10 seconds, and at speeds up to 30 mph.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
7 of 65 BMW

The Z4's trunk offers the same 9.9 cubic feet of cargo space regardless of roof position.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
8 of 65 BMW

As for on-road acceleration, the Z4 M40i can sprint to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
9 of 65 BMW

Look for the Z4 sDrive30i to hit dealers in March, and pricing will be available closer to that time.

2019 BMW Z4 M40i
10 of 65 BMW

Keep scrolling for more photos of the 2019 BMW Z4 from our first drive event in Lisbon, Portugal.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos