500 extra pounds plus a turbocharger is "more reponsive".... not saying you're wrong, but that's certainly an extraordinary claim. Either BMW did something awesome, or Porsche regressed badly from the 981 NA cars.

 

Five hundred extra pounds? Where are you obtaining your figures? The Z4 M40i has a curb weight of 3,443; the GTS Boxster 4.0 has a curb weight of 3,224 in PDK form.

Is there something wrong with your ability to determine this on your own accurately and post accurately to this thread?

<https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/attachment/T0285141EN_US/430494>

<https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/718/718-models/718-boxster-gts-4/>

 

Thanks for sharing this , was looking for it. I read somewhere the Z4 M40i manual has curb weight of around 3600 lbs, is that incorrect?

 

I mean, I just gave you the primary source material.

Yes, 3600 is incorrect.

 

(Shrug) 400 pounds, 500 pounds, whatever, it's more competitive with a Macan than a Boxster. Disagree with the numbers, take it up with Car & Driver.

 

No need to take anything up with Car & Driver — I’m actually driving the Z4 right now (at parking lot) and I know how heavy or not heavy it feels. It’s a smaller car than the Boxster and it feels light; and to say it is comparable to a Macan is laughable, really. The idea that you believe Car & Driver over the manufacturer says something. If you don’t like the car, fine; but you are speaking with no experience on the matter and proliferating conclusions based on absent or non-primary source data.

 

Boxster weight is documented right below the Z4's weight. Keep reading, don't stop when you see something you don't like.

Speaking of seeing something I don't like...



I liked it better when it was called the E65...

 

Depends on your definition of 'responsive'. Throttle response the NA engine is better (not that the B58 has much lag). However the 718 is hampered by its long gearing and the fact it needs revs (which is also part of the fun). By contrast the Z4 has much shorter gearing (especially the Zf8) and hits peak torque at 1500 RPM. This makes it 'feel' quicker and more spritely especially in lower speed situations. A GTS/GT4 does 80mph in second gear, an M2C for example (which shares the same manual Getrag gearbox that BMW has been using forever) redlines at 59 in second at 7.6k. The B58 redlines at 7k. At lower speeds especially (1-2-3 gears) the Z4 is going to feel like an absolute rocket ship. On the street it will be less frustrating than a 718 and easier to extract performance. I own cars with both engines and they are both excellent in different ways. If the GT4 had more street friendly gearing from factory it would change the equation considerably though.

 

Oh wait, I just found an Internet source that lists a lower curb weight for the Z4 M40i. Here, let me cherry pick a 3rd-party source showing the lightest curb weight and utilize that figure to support my argument.

<https://www.ultimatespecs.com/car-specs/BMW/115071/BMW-G29-Z4-Roadster-M40i.html>
3,305 pounds curb weight Z4 M40i

To do this is ridiculous. It’s middle-school or bad high school analysis. Didn’t you learn in college to draw conclusions from primary source? And if you have a reason to mistrust the primary source, what is the reason and why should we consider it valid?

 

Honestly, I'm sure it's an awesome car and I don't trust magazines any more than you do. But go evangelize Boxsters over on the BMW forum and see how that plays out for you.

I'm sure there's an explanation for the large discrepancies in reported curb weight, but I don't care enough to investigate further.

 

Point taken, except for the evangelize comment — I already stated I own the Porsche Boxster GTS we are discussing and I praised the Boxster GTS earlier. I actually own two Boxsters (981 Spyder and 982 GTS 4.0) and I have a third one (Spyder RS) coming. I don’t think you or anyone would properly suggest I don’t like the Boxster. Are you fully reading what I’ve posted? I think I’m allowed to critique or praise both cars since I own both, no matter the forum. This thread is about the original poster’s question, which I answer by critiquing and praising both cars; it’s not about you and me.

 

Last week I actually made this very choice between BMW Z4 M40i and 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 ... I chose the Boxster GTS to be my long-term keeper buying a 2023 BGTS with 400 miles on the odometer, since buying new from Porsche is so frustratingly hard.

After following the announcement of Z4's availability with a manual I immediately got on the list at a couple of local BMW dealers. I watched as many Z4 M40i and BGTS 4.0 videos as possible. In the end I had to ask myself this ... which car would keep me happy in the long term and that answer, for me, was easily BGTS. Why?
- Mid engine handling
- Naturally aspirated engine
- One of the best manual transmissions ever made
- sublime handling

I am really happy that BMW decided to at least offer the Z4 with a manual and it will probably be very nice but for my personal preferences what BGTS offers is mostly non-existent already or headed to extinction soon. So my decision was to buy something before the time passes by.

 

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-manual-drive/

 

you can cure this with a Cobb TCU re-programming...

 

Congratulations. Must’ve been a difficult choice.

If you find the manual gearbox gearing too tall, you can regear with the well known firms that have been doing precisely this for a a long time. (I re-geared my 981 Spyder new gears 2-5 with new main shaft).

I would like to point out the Z4 will also be extinct. BMW is very likely not to bring it back… sales have been very poor and they’ve acknowledged it.