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BMW Z4 M40i G29

BMW Z4 M40i G29

2020 to 2026RoadsterM Performance

Guide Score 78Very good$2,237 a year to ownAbout 23rd of 69
Best year
2026
Example asking
$32k to $71k
Prices near you
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Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The G29 Z4 M40i is a two-seat soft-top roadster developed alongside Toyota's GR Supra and built by Magna Steyr in Austria, sold here from 2020 to 2026 with the B58 3.0-liter turbo six at 382 hp, rear-wheel drive and an electronically controlled M Sport differential.

The score, part by part

78Guide Score for 2021Very goodabout $2,237 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 23rd of 69, likely 9th to 29th
Likely score range
75 to 87
Confidence
Medium
Acclaim
45 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
under 0.1%
Best purposes
First M Performance, 1st of 24; Open-top, 1st of 10

The seven parts and acclaim, 2021 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
624% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
58
Drive feel counts 20 of 100
73
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
64
Weight counts 10 of 100
85
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 16 of 100
71
Acclaim counts 15 of 100
45

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

3 prices from sources that allow this use (classiccars.com, driveway.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $47,706, about 75% of the price new (58% once the price new is put in today's dollars). Asking prices sit above what cars sell for.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $2,237 a year to own ($1,531 to $3,495), about $9,983 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Oil filter housing and valve cover gasket leaks (B58): about $413 over five years, common (source)

Expect about $1,500 to $3,500 a year; the bill that decides it is oil filter housing and valve cover gasket leaks. Ownership risk: moderate.

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

B58382 hpRWD8-speed automatic or 6-speed manual23 city, 31 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$400 to $800

Best year to buy

2026The best year to buy, reading 80 of 100, about $2,237 a year to own.

Why the 2026

  • 2021 to 2026 cars: Revised oil pump (the ZTK part with metal internals) supersedes the plastic-housing pump that failed on early B58 TU cars (source, read October 27, 2026)
  • 2025 and 2026 cars: 6-speed manual (the Handschalter package, $3,500) offered beside the 8-speed automatic for the first time; manual cars also get their own chassis tuning and staggered 19/20-inch wheels (source, read October 27, 2026)
  • 2025 and 2026 cars: Manual shift lever available as the alternative to the electronic gear selector (the same Handschalter package) (source, read October 27, 2026)

Years to think twice about

  • 2020: 75, 5 points below the 2026. About $2,355 a year to own against $2,237, with oil pump failure (B58, 2020 to 2021 cars) (about $910 over five years, price source) among the bills that decide it; chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years under 0.1%.
  • 2023 and 2024: 77, 3 points below the 2026. The same cost to own, about $2,237 a year; chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years under 0.1%.
  • If you can only find a 2020: it reads 75, 5 points below the 2026, at about $2,355 a year to own against $2,237. The parts that differ: ownership 61 against 71, drive feel 73 against 80, analog connection 64 against 69. It is judged as bought at 6 years old, against 5 for the 2026. Logged between them: Revised oil pump (the ZTK part with metal internals) supersedes the plastic-housing pump that failed on early B58 TU cars; 6-speed manual (the Handschalter package, $3,500) offered beside the 8-speed automatic for the first time; manual cars also get their own chassis tuning and staggered 19/20-inch wheels; Manual shift lever available as the alternative to the electronic gear selector (the same Handschalter package).
  • If you can only find a 2023: it reads 77, 3 points below the 2026, at the same cost to own, about $2,237 a year. The parts that differ: drive feel 73 against 80, analog connection 64 against 69, engine 57 against 59. Logged between them: 6-speed manual (the Handschalter package, $3,500) offered beside the 8-speed automatic for the first time; manual cars also get their own chassis tuning and staggered 19/20-inch wheels; Manual shift lever available as the alternative to the electronic gear selector (the same Handschalter package).
  • If you can only find a 2024: it reads 77, 3 points below the 2026, at the same cost to own, about $2,237 a year. The parts that differ: drive feel 73 against 80, analog connection 64 against 69. Logged between them: 6-speed manual (the Handschalter package, $3,500) offered beside the 8-speed automatic for the first time; manual cars also get their own chassis tuning and staggered 19/20-inch wheels; Manual shift lever available as the alternative to the electronic gear selector (the same Handschalter package).
  1. 202075think twice
  2. 202178$2,237 a year
  3. 202278$2,237 a year
  4. 202377think twice
  5. 202477think twice
  6. 202580$2,237 a year
  7. 202680best year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

Until 2024 every US car had the eight-speed automatic; for 2025 and 2026 BMW added a six-speed manual with the $3,500 Handschalter package and its own chassis tuning, and the run ended with the US-only 2026 Final Edition in Frozen Black. Manual cars are still listed close to their price new, and they are the ones enthusiasts look for.

The engine oil pump on 2020 and 2021 cars is the one expensive known fault.

What to look for
  • A VIN check for open recalls (the brake assist software update on 2020 and 2021 cars, and the passenger seat belt check on 2021 cars), an electronic oil level check that completes (on 2020 and 2021 cars one that stalls at 15 to 30 percent is usually a software fault BMW fixes with an update, SIB 11 04 26; if it still will not finish, have the oil pressure checked), any record of oil pump replacement, no low oil pressure or drivetrain warnings, a soft top that opens and closes smoothly with no water inside, no coolant or oil leaks, even wear on the staggered tires, a clutch that engages cleanly on manual cars, and how much factory or BMW Certified warranty is left
  • On 2020 to 2025 cars, BMW covers the EVAP purge valve for 15 years or 150,000 miles if it fails (SI B01 03 24); a dealer confirms the cover by VIN

Holds value

  • The six-speed manual with the Handschalter package (2025 and 2026)
  • The 2026 Final Edition
  • San Remo Green
  • Frozen Deep Green
  • Thundernight
  • Misano Blue and Portimao Blue paint
  • Magma Red or Cognac leather
  • Low documented mileage
  • Unmodified cars

Hurts resale

  • 2020 and 2021 cars with no record of oil pump work
  • Accident history
  • Tuning
  • A worn or leaking soft top
  • High mileage
  • Open recalls

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The M Index, once a month: any change to the Z4 M40i's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.