Here’s everything you need to know about the latest edition of BMW’s iconic Roadster

The radical-looking BMW Z1. The long-discontinued, budget-friendly Z3. James Bond in a rocket-shooting Z8. BMW has a long history of open roadsters that goes back almost 100 years. And now the German luxury car brand is closing the book on the third generation of its most popular roadster ever: the Z4.

However, BMW is not sending the G29 Z4 out to pasture without a party. Instead of a quiet farewell, the brand’s sentimental types end things with the 2026 BMW Z4 Latest edition. The expensive roadster takes its place atop the Z4’s 2026 pricing structure and seems aimed squarely at collectors. Oh, and you can have one with a manual transmission.

The curtain closes on BMW’s Resident Roadster

BMW debuted the third-generation Z4, or G29, as a 2019 model at Pebble Beach in 2018. The G29 arrived on the scene after the E89 was discontinued after the 2016 model year. It replaced the E89 Z4, a folding metal hardtop version of the BMW roadster nameplate, after a two-year hiatus without a Z4 offering. Now, eight model years later, the third-generation Z4 is riding off into the sunset, leaving the automaker’s luxury lineup devoid of a sun-drenched roadster. That is, until BMW revives the nameplate or creates another two-seater convertible.

Get rid of a collector-oriented bang

Before the G29 BMW Z4 leaves for the stop station, BMW gives it a victory lap. It’s the 2026 BMW Z4 Final Edition, a limited-edition roadster with collectors in mind. Naturally, those collectors will have to act quickly to secure one of the sought-after convertibles. BMW will produce the Z4 Final Edition from February to April 2026, and in extremely limited numbers. How much is still a mystery at the time of writing. But if other special editions are any indication, don’t expect more than a few thousand copies.

At a glance, there isn’t much to convey the Final Edition’s special status. It does get a unique color palette, and the side sills welcome those few collectors with crisp lettering that reads ‘Z4 FINAL EDITION’. However, you won’t find any Final Edition-specific badging on the quarter panel or on the lid.

Cobra Kai colors

The most striking detail of the 2026 BMW Z4 Final Edition is the exterior color scheme. Basically, he wears black to his own funeral, and any other shade is not an option. Most of the roadster’s sleek shape features an exclusive Frozen Black paint job. It has a matte look and you won’t find it on any other factory Bimmer. To complement the already dark exterior, BMW wraps the Z4 Final Edition in the Shadowline Package. That means gloss black treatments for the dual exhaust, grille, intake and mirror covers. Finally, BMW topped it all off with a fully electric Moonlight Black soft top. Do you sense a trend here?

However, the Z4’s bow-out model is not completely colorless. The M Sport brake calipers are finished in high-gloss red. And the red splashes don’t stop there. A look at the interior of the Vernasca and Alcántara reveals red contrast stitching and seams adorning the Final Edition’s seats, door trim, instrument panel and center console. Black and red is the name of the game.

BMW has made your choice for you

Save your decision-making hassles when choosing dinner, because BMW has made most of your choices for you. For starters, American buyers can’t choose the 255-horsepower Z4 sDrive30i as a Final Edition. That means the M40i’s 382-hp turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine is the only engine option for the farewell model. Although we’re not complaining.

In addition, the Z4 Final Edition, like the G29s and E89s from the previous model year, is not available as a coupe. It’s a Moonlight Black soft top or nothing for the Final Edition of the G29 Z4. Although that wasn’t always the case. The first generation Z4 offered an M Coupe E86 variant, complete with a rigid hardtop and a liftback rear.

Bring things to life with a stick

Of course, BMW has selected most of the details for you. But interested buyers will have one important decision to make: a transmission choice. For drivers looking for the faster and less analogue of the two gearboxes, BMW offers the Z4 Final Edition with a quick-shifting eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox and a set of paddle shifters.

However, buyers looking for the best powertrain option the soon-to-be-doomed Z4 has to offer will opt for the Handschalter package and six-speed manual transmission. For English speakers, the very German compound word translates to “handshift” or “hand switch.” But for spirited drivers it simply means: drive, drive, drive your gears. Better yet, the package includes the Handschalter chassis options, including a retuned adaptive suspension, stiffer anti-roll bars and larger 285mm Michelin Pilot Super Sport rear rubber as part of the sports car’s staggered tire application.

Buying the dying Roadster won’t be cheap

For the swan song model year of BMW’s roadster, the Z4 M40i Final Edition replaces the M40i Handschalter version as the most expensive Z4 in the lineup. Specifically, collectors lucky enough to line one up will have to pay $77,500 plus $1,175 for destination and handling. That makes the black and red roadster the most expensive factory Z4 to date.

However, there is good news. Unlike the standard M40i, the manual gearbox will not add to the price of the Final Edition. However, the additional costs of the manual are included in the price of the Z4 Final Edition. Choose the Steptronic automatic or the six-speed manual, and the price is the same.

Price information BMW Z4 2026

The last G29

When the last of the limited 2026 BMW Z4 Final Editions rolls off the production line in April next year, the book on the G29 will be closed after eight years of production. Not only that, but it also marks the end of the Z4 for the first time since the E89 went out of production after the 2016 model year. So far, BMW has not announced any plans to replace or revive the roadster.

The sibling also dies

BMW’s drop-top two-seater isn’t the only sports car in the family to get a special offer. Although the Z4’s sibling doesn’t wear the same badge, or even a soft top. For the 2019 model year, Austria’s Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH & Co KG began building both the G29 BMW Z4 and the Toyota GR Supra. It was part of an admittedly unexpected collaboration between BMW and Toyota.

You read that correctly. It is a Japanese sports car with a German engine, built in Austria. A sports car citizen of the world, but also the recipient of endless “nice BMW” jokes Cars and coffee. Like the G29 Z4, the Toyota GR Supra will take a bow and leave stage left after the 2026 model year. It also received a special edition prior to its demise in the United States 2026 Toyota GR Supra Latest edition. Unlike the Z4, however, Toyota has hinted at the return of the Supra sans BMW partnership. In the meantime, the BMW roadster faithful will just have to wait and hope for the Z4’s return.

Sources: BMW Group, Toyota, Classic.com