With all eyes on the XM, it’s easy to forget BMW also gave the Z4 a minuscule facelift this week. The G29 was presented exclusively in the M40i spicy flavor with one of the three fresh colors – Thundernight Metallic, which was originally seen last year on the 2 Series Coupe. Thankfully, the configurator is now up and running in Germany where people can also build the lesser non-M Performance models and see the other colors.
Case in point, the sDrive20i is portrayed in the new-for-2023 Portimao Blue metallic with the 19-inch Jet Black wheels featuring a V-spoke design. Codenamed 772M, these alloys are exclusive to the Z4 and come wrapped in 255/35 ZR19 front and 275/35 ZR19 rear tires. They cost an extra €1,320 and can be replaced by smaller 18-inch wheels without the black finish.
Painted in Skyscraper Grey metallic, the 2023 Z4 sDrive30i rides on a different set of 19-inch wheels (779M). Both flavors of the rear-wheel-drive roadster feature the mildly updated kidney grille introduced with the LCI, featuring larger honeycombs to lend the car a sportier appearance. One minor tweak BMW has made is the option to apply a dark tint to the headlights by getting the M lights Shadow Line upgrade.
The transition to 2023MY comes along with a Sensatec (artificial leather) for the dashboard inside the sDrive30i. Both four-cylinder models get the M Sport Package as standard equipment going forward while the M Sport suspension is also included with the sDrive30i. A manual gearbox is still not available on the M40i despite the rumors, but we’ve heard through the grapevine it will be offered later in 2023 to echo the mechanically related six-speed Toyota Supra 3.0.
If reports are to be believed, Magna Steyr will end production of the Z4 at its plant in Graz, Austria in 2025. Although BMW has sold more than 55,000 units of the current-generation model, it has reportedly decided already to discontinue the Z series altogether around the middle of the decade.
Source: BMW
