Faster to 100 km/h than the legendary BMW M3 E46 and more sprinty than its direct competitor from Zuffenhausen – the omens for the BMW Z4 M Coupé E86 were truly good when it was released for series production at the Geneva Motor Show in spring 2006. The BMW Z4 (internally: E85 – Roadster, E86 – Coupé) is a passenger car from the German automaker BMW. The design of the Z4 was created under BMW chief designer Chris Bangle. The BMW Z4 was manufactured by the BMW US Manufacturing Company in Greer (South Carolina).

The Z4, with its official trade show presentation at the 2002 Mondial de l’Automobile, hit the U.S. market in October 2002 and was introduced in Germany in March 2003. Being larger and more comfortable than the previously produced Z3, it was named the Z4.

The soft top was given a glass rear window, which could also be heated. To limit the weight increase, high-strength steels were used for the body and aluminum for the hood. BMW also used electrically assisted power steering for the first time, which only required energy during the steering process and thus saved fuel. Chassis-wise, the front axle is the same as that of the Z3 with MacPherson struts, while the rear axle is a multi-link design.

The revised version of the Z4 was presented to the public in spring 2006. Changes were made to both the interior and exterior design. The exterior, visual changes primarily involved modified bumpers or skirts, new headlights as well as taillights with LED elements, revised rims and new colors. The interior was upgraded with chrome applications, such as on the air conditioning controls, and enhanced with new equipment packages. Technical innovations also included an electronic oil level control and hill-start assist.

The most important changes, however, were in the chassis and engine areas. As part of the chassis overhaul, there were also new N52 six-cylinder engines. The original BMW M54 engines in 2.2i (125 kW/170 hp), 2.5i (141 kW / 192 hp) and 3.0i (170 kW / 231 hp) variants were replaced by N52 powerplants in 2.5i (now 130 kW / 177 hp), 2.5si (160 kW / 218 hp) and 3.0si (195 kW / 265 hp) variants. The four-cylinder 2.0i variant with N46 engine and 110 kW (150 hp) introduced in May 2005 remained in the range after the model update. Furthermore, all models with manual transmission now had six gears (previously only on the 2.0i and 3.0i).

The top of the range was the Z4 M. It featured the 252 kW (343 hp) 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine that had previously been used in the BMW M3 (E46). With this engine, it accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.0 s and was electronically limited to a top speed of 250 km/h (155.14 mph); up to 275 km/h (275.14 mph) was possible at extra cost. Visually, the Z4 M was distinguished by modified skirts, a somewhat contoured hood and an exhaust system with four tailpipes. A sequential transmission, as was available for the other M models, was not available for the Z4 M.

There was also a heavily powered coupe variant of the Z4 with a fixed roof and hatchback with tailgate. At the 2005 International Motor Show, the Z4 Coupé (E86) was initially presented as a study before being launched in spring 2006 (presentation of the production model at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show) in slightly modified form with the revised Roadster. The second Z4 (E89) as a roadster with a fixed sheet metal roof was effectively the successor to both Z4s, roadster E85 and coupe E86.

The search in relevant automobile exchanges shows: The BMW Z4 M Coupé is well on its way to becoming a sought-after classic. The number of vehicles on offer today is clear. This proves that this BMW M automobile is also a classic with collector potential and rarity value. In total, only 4,581 Z4 M Coupé of the E86 series rolled off the production line from 2006 to 2008.