New BMW Z4 Officially Revealed In 335bhp M40i Form

One of the car world’s worst kept secrets is out – the BMW Z4 has been officially revealed. It’s pretty true to the concept, don’t you think? This is the First Edition M40i, and it’ll be the sportiest and most aggressive version of the Z4.

The front is dominated by the huge headlights and huge grills. They’ve sort of morphed together and become one. Like a monobrow, but sexier. The bumpers – both front and rear – are fitting of a BMW with the amount of power this one has. Between them are classic roadster proportions; a long bonnet and pert, short-ish back end and the driver sat cosily in the middle. Whether that combination is a handsome one is up to you.

That long bonnet hides a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, kicking out 335bhp to the rear wheels. All of this means you’ll charge from a standstill to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 155mph. It is a BMW, after all. There’s no manual in this fast version – it’s paddles or nothing – but it does get an electronic diff.

The suspension is electronically-controlled too, and the weight distribution is just right. Hopefully this’ll mean that the Z4 handles the same way it looks. Previous cars have been blown into the weeds by the Porsche Boxster. A classy soft-top roof keeps the weight and centre of gravity down, and overall, the new Z4 is some 50kg lighter than the old car.

Inside, you’re greeted with two large screens and quite a lot of gadgetry, such as a head-up display, wireless phone charging, and probably all the connectivity you could ever wish for. Expect it to come with a chunky roster of safety tech as well – the likes of auto emergency braking, lane departure warning and perhaps blind spot monitoring.

After the First Edition, the rest of the range will be unveiled at October’s Paris Motor Show. We know that beneath the M40i will be an entry-level 2.0-litre turbo four and a lower-output version of the 3.0-litre unit used here. The cheapest ones will kick out approximately 150bhp but will be available with a proper six-speed manual gearbox.

It’ll be shown in the metal at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance later this week, in the same Frozen Orange coat as the concept. What do you think of it?