The BMW Z4 isn’t getting the manual that the updates Supra got. Let’s get that out of the way right now. Instead BMW is doubling down on the current equation of an engaging GT-like sports car that is both easy to live with and fun to drive. That means the changes we’re seeing for the Z4 LCI are some of the most subtle we’ve ever see for a mid-cycle refresh.

There are new exterior design accents and new optional equipment on tap. For one the M Sport package is now standard in the US on all models. With it comes a redesign front grille that (thankfully) hasn’t grown in size. There’s also a new, optional 19″ wheel to round-out the exterior design changes.

The 2023 BMW Z4 also gets several new exterior colors as well; Thundernight, Portimao Blue, and Skyscraper Grey

The worldwide market debut scheduled for November 2022. In the US the base MSRP for Z4 sDrive30i will be $52,800. For the more powerful M40i it will start at $65,300.

BimmerFile take: We really liked the current Z4 30i when we tested it three years ago. We found it to be an engaging, easy to live with convertible that felt like a refined version of all Z4s that came before it. But what Toyota has shown with it’s manual equipped Supra (which of course is nearly an identical car) is interesting. Could BMW have gone down that route and brought back a touch a soul the current Z4 was lacking? Unfortunately we’ll never know.

Official Release: The Refreshed 2023 BMW Z4 LCI

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – September 27, 2022…A pure-bred roadster, more sporting and visually appealing than ever: this is the BMW Z4 for model year 2023. The latest version of the open-top two-seater incorporates a raft of detail updates, brings fresh design accents to the exterior, expands the range of standard equipment and adds new items to the options list. The 2023 Z4 sDrive30i and M40i have the ideal elements with which to build on the model’s success story as both a symbol of pure driving pleasure in BMW’s product line and the global leader in its market segment.

Continuing the successful roadster tradition at BMW. 

The history of BMW roadsters as the embodiment of driving pleasure on the road and success on the racetrack extends back to the company’s formative years as a carmaker. And the brand’s open-top two-seaters have also represented important milestones in the development of BMW in the more recent past. The BMW Z1 unveiled in 1987 was developed by BMW Technik GmbH as a showcase for innovation with its front-mid-engine design, slide-down doors, steel monocoque, and plastic body panels. Some 8,000 examples were delivered to customers between 1988 and 1991, and today each is a coveted collector’s item. The BMW Z3 introduced in 1995 was the brand’s first model to be produced exclusively at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. The BMW Z3 was introduced to the public on the silver screen – as James Bond’s service vehicle in the film GoldenEye. 

The BMW Z4 has delivered open-top driving pleasure for one driver and one passenger for 20 years now. The first generation of the roadster was revealed at the 2002 Mondial de l’Automobile show in Paris. It was followed four years later by the hardtop BMW Z4 Coupe, out of which a GT3 racing car was developed that enjoyed considerable success in the Nürburgring endurance racing series.


A retractable hardtop appeared on the second-generation BMW Z4 roadster. Flowing lines, a long hood, and a passenger compartment set far back were the defining elements of the two-seater’s appearance. On the racetrack, the BMW Z4 picked up on the success of its predecessor with another GT3 variant. Customer racing teams powered to victory in the 24-hour races in Dubai and at Spa-Francorchamps.

The current BMW Z4 has been on the market since 2020, and over 55,000 units of the third-generation roadster have been sold worldwide. From day one, it has been by far the highest-selling model in a class populated exclusively by German premium brands, and it has consistently increased its market share ever since.


More dynamic than ever: M Sport package as standard, BMW kidney grille with a new design.

The M Sport Package now standard on the Z4 sDrive30i includes design elements that emphasize roadster’s width and powerful stance. They include the three-section air intakes in the front apron familiar from other M models, distinctive side-sill contouring and a rear apron with bold edging at either side. The side air intakes – which guide the oncoming air to the air curtains, reducing turbulence in the wheel arches – have been restyled. And detail updates have been made to the design of the BMW kidney grille, with a horizontal inner structure adding to the impression of width at the front.

Exclusive 19-inch M light-alloy wheels, three new exterior colors.
Newly optional are 19-inch M light-alloy wheels designed exclusively for the BMW Z4. The V-spoke design, Jet Black matte finish and diamond polished rim edge are at once striking and sophisticated. The 19-inch M light-alloy wheels are fitted with 255/35 ZR19 tires at the front and 275/35 ZR19 tire at the rear.

The range of optional exterior paint finishes for the BMW Z4 has been revised, and now includes Thundernight metallic, Portimao Blue metallic, and Skyscraper Grey metallic for the first time.

Also new to the options list are the M Shadowline Lights, which may be specified with the optional Adaptive LED Headlights. The headlights’ dark inserts imbue the front of the Z4 with a discreetly sporting aura and compliment the optional Extended Shadowline Trim.

Classical sports car cockpit with M-specific touches.

The design of the BMW Z4 interior is defined by a driver-focused cockpit layout, sport seats with integral head restraints, clear, forward-facing lines and minimal decorative surfaces. With the addition of the M Sport Package as standard, the interior of the BMW Z4 sDrive30i now includes an M leather steering wheel, M Sport seats, M pedals, an M driver’s footrest, and a dashboard upholstered in SensaTec.

2023 BMW Z4 Gallery

2023 BMW Z4 Specifications

  Z4 sDrive30iZ4 M40i
Seats22
Number of Doors22
Drive typeRWDRWD
Lengthinches170.7170.7
Widthinches73.473.4
Heightinches51.451.4
Width including mirrorsinches79.779.7
Wheelbaseinches97.297.2
Ground clearanceinches4.74.7
Turning radiusfeet18.018.0
Shoulder width frontinches54.354.3
Legroom frontinches42.242.2
Headroom frontinches38.938.9
Cargo volume (EPA)ft³9.99.9
Fuel Tank capacitygallons13.713.7
Curb weightlbs.3,287tbd
Gross vehicle weightlbs.3,880tbd
Payloadlbs.463tbd
    
Engine typeB46B58
Cylinders46
Valves per cylinder44
Strokemm94.694.6
Boremm82.082.0
Displacementcm³1,9982,998
Compression rate:110.211.0
Engine powerhp255382
at rpm1/min5,000 – 6,5005,000 – 6,500
Engine torqueft. lbs.295369
at rpm1/min1,500-4,4001,600 – 4,500
Fuel typegasolinegasoline
Recommended FuelPremiumPremium
Engine oil capacityquarts5.256.5 quarts
Output per literhp/liter129.1127.4
Transmission type8HP8HP
Transmission typeautomaticautomatic
Gear ratios 1st gear5.255.25
2nd3.363.36
3rd2.172.17
4th1.721.72
5th1.321.32
6th1.001.00
7th0.820.82
8th0.640.64
Reverse gear3.713.71
Final drive ratio3.153.15
Power-steering typeEPSEPS
Steering ratio:115.115.1
Tires 18” standard front225/45R18 95Y255/40R18 95Y
Tires 18” standard rear255/40R18 99Y275/40R18 99Y
Wheels 18” standard frontinches8.0J x 18 LM9.0 x 18 LM
Wheels 18” standard rearInches9.0J x 18 LM10.0J x 18 LM
Tires 18” optional front255/40R18 95Y
Tires 18” optional rear275/40R18 99Y
Wheels 18” optionalInches9.0 x 18 LM
Wheels 18” optionalInches10.0J x 18 LM
Tires 19” optional front 255/35R19 96Y255/35R19 96Y
Tires 19” optional rear 275/35R19 100Y275/35R19 100Y
Wheels 19” optional frontinches9.0J x 19 LM9.0J x 19 LM
Wheels 19” optional rear 10.0J x 19 LM10.0J x 19 LM
    
Track, frontinches63.762.8
Rear, trackinches63.562.6
Cx0.29 – 0.350.29 – 0.35
0-60 mphseconds5.24.4
Top speedmph155155
 EPA Fuel Economy, city / hwympgTBDTBD