BMW is retiring the Z4 at the end of its third generation. It arrived in 2002 as a larger, stiffer take on the Z3 roadster. A coupe version of the BMW Z4 arrived in 2006, but the next generation featured a retractable hardtop, meaning there was no need for a coupe and soft top version. For the third and what looks like the final generation Z4, BMW brought back the soft convertible roof.
To launch the third generation, BMW offered the M40i First Edition, and to close it out, there will be a limited Z4 Final Edition. The Final Edition is based on the top M40i version, and fully loaded. Whether the eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission is optioned, it costs $78,675 (including $1,175 destination charge).
Now, $78,675 is obviously a large chunk of cash, and BMW hasn’t ruled out bringing the name back on its Neue Klasse platform, so you might end up driving a not-so-final edition. And, of course, the cry of the car enthusiast is “you could get a used or new XYZ make and model for less than that!” So, let’s have a look at what those might be – and we’re defining a roadster strictly as a two-seater sports car with a folding roof.
2025 BMW Z4 Roadster Engine Options
sDrive30i
M40i
M40i Handschalter
Engine
2.0-liter turbo-four
3.0-liter turbo inline-six
3.0-liter turbo inline-six
Transmission
eight-speed automatic
six-speed manual
Drivetrain
rear-wheel-drive
Power
255 hp
382 hp
382 hp
Torque
295 lb-ft
369 lb-ft
369 lb-ft
0-60
5.2 seconds
3.9 seconds
4.2 seconds
Top Speed
155 mph
Let’s get the Mazda MX-5 out of the way, because it’s brilliant. It’s smaller and less powerful than the Z4 in its base form, but you could buy two MX-5 35th Anniversary Edition models for $36,250 each. While they’re both roadsters, it’s a stretch to call them comparable due to the size and power difference. The MX-5 makes 181 hp from its small four-cylinder engine, while the Z4 in M40i trim has a turbocharged straight-six making 382-hp.
For cruising as well as sporty driving, the BMW Z4 is going to be the better roadster for most. But for sheer fun, the MX-5 holds its own and is more rewarding to drive hard, and you could store one 35th Anniversary Edition away for a rainy day and drive the snot out of the other guilt-free. Or, if it makes it to the US, the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster could be just the ticket.
The Porsche 718 Boxster starts new at $77,600 before destination, with a manual transmission and a 300-hp six-cylinder Boxer engine. The thread so far is that each of these roadsters has been damn near perfected by their makers, but are different beasts entirely. The Z4 is a powerful sports car and comfortable cruiser, the MX-5 is all about the chassis and driving dynamics at an incredible price point, while the Boxster is a mid-engine delight of precision engineering and tuning.
The problem is that Porsche has closed orders on the 718 Boxster and the hardtop Cayman model, so if you want a new one now, you’re likely going to have to wait for the electric version. That means going used, so get in quickly as the prices will likely start to rise, including on the older generations. The best deal, at around $35–40,000, is going to be a 2014 or 2015 model with under 50,000 miles and 265-hp from the flat-six and a manual transmission.
You could get a lot of classic Honda S2000 for BMW Z4 money, and a huge amount of car-culture cred to go with it. Low-mileage versions go for around $35–40,000. The S2000 is still a legend for its 9,000 rpm redline on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 237 hp in its final North American form. In total, only 110,673 Honda S2000s were built, so it’s a rare car in general before considering the CR (Club Racer) version. If you were looking for one of those (in non-modified form) they tend to go for somewhere between $60–70,000.
A new Mercedes-Benz SL is going to set you back nearer $100,000 new, so we’re looking at used here. For a used SL, there’s a wide range of powertrains out there, but for half the price of a Z4 Final Edition, we would be looking for a lower-mileage 2017 or 2018 vintage 550 roadster and take that big V8 power and luxury cruising chassis.
We’re talking about a 5.5-liter V8 for top-down noisiness and making 449 hp horsepower to boot, plus that lovely taught but still pliable chassis and suspension setup and all the Mercedes luxury from a generation or so back – meaning it’s about the driver and passenger comfort and convenience, and not wowing with screen size. If you don’t mind higher mileage and getting just a little north of $40,000, it might be worth looking for the AMG version for some extra muscle.
If comfort and convenience aren’t important, but sheer thrills are, plus you want a reliable engine, a used Lotus Elise is just the ticket. Yes, we’re talking about a reliable Lotus, and that’s because the US version of the Elise S2 from 2005 onward arrived with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder Toyota 2ZZ engine. We would argue that the Elise handles better than the MX-5, but the downside is that Lotus engineers have a habit of being so concerned with performance that comfort and convenience gets in the way of the “add lightness” ethos.
In fact, you’re lucky there’s a passenger seat in the Elise as that adds weight, let alone a sound system. However, if you love driving, the Elise will only make you love driving more. In Europe and some other markets, it was available until 2021 new with up to 245 hp, and you should easily get a used one for less than a BMW Z4. In the US, $40,000 should get you something with reasonable miles from 2005.
Do you need a new Z4 or do you want a classic Z4 M car? The first Z4 was based on the beloved E46 generation 3 Series and the Z4 M roadster version from 2006 to 2008 is a beltingly good car. Under the hood is the E46 M3’s legendary S54 straight-six engine making 330 hp with 262 lb of torque, the M3’s steering rack, revised steering and suspension geometry, plus it runs on wider tires. It only ran for two years, and was an underrated M car then and still is now. Unlike E46 M3 models, Z4 M prices aren’t insane and $35,000 should get you a prime example.
You could buy a new Corvette, but it’ll be a base model convertible and cost within a few hundred dollars of the BMW Z4 Final Edition. Or, you could go looking for a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Convertible (C7 generation) and have a truly wild time. Under the hood is a 6.2-liter small-block V8 making 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque in a nice traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration.
While Chevrolet switched to a mid-engine layout for the next generation (C8), the C7 was Chevrolet getting close to perfection with the front/rear layout in both performance and looks. With low miles for around $39,000 we’re looking at a basic Grand Sport model or 2LT trim with 460 horsepower, which is an excessive amount of fun for the money. If you can deal with more miles on the clock, then a more specced out 3LT is still within budget.
For anyone after the purest of roadster experiences, it’s either British or Italian, and because this writer is British, then it’s the TR6. By going classic that could now be considered antique, this is going back to basics. The TR6 delivers the old-school wind-in-your-hair, feel-of-the-road, and being part of the environment experience, and with the sort of style automakers can’t deliver anymore. Mainly because of safety, but we’ll just gloss over the lack of any safety features or driver aids that have been considered basic since the 1980s here.
The TR6 is a car of beauty built between 1969–1976, just before the British car industry collapsed under its own mismanagement. We’re going back to a body-on-frame car here, but with independent suspension, front disc brakes, and a 2.5-liter inline-six-cylinder engine. A four-speed manual is standard, but one with an overdrive is preferable. Going down the deep classic route needs a laissez-faire attitude to safety, but the reward is pure driving pleasure. Setting a ceiling of $39,000 should easily find a nicely restored Triumph TR6 with all the gremlins of Lucas electronics ironed out – meaning a conversion to electronic ignition, so there are no carburetors or Lucas electronics to deal with.
If you want a supercar for the same money as a Z4 Final Edition and if you’re willing to 2015 or older as well as the V8 rather than the V10, then there are some deals out there. The Audi R8 is an excellent supercar, although the V8 version is unloved, but it’s a 4.2-liter V8 making 414 hp and capable of getting the first-generation R8 to 60 mph in four seconds with the manual transmission. And yes, that’s with a manual transmission, which is all but gone in modern supercars.
Furthermore, the R8 is a real supercar, based on the Lamborghini Gallardo chassis and engine, but famed for being something that can be driven everyday. It’s an Italian supercar in a German suit, and you could easily land one for less than that Final Edition Z4.
Sources: Audi, BMW, Bring A Trailer, Chevrolet, Mazda, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Porsche, AutoTempest.
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