BMW Officially Ceases Production of the Z4 Roadster
After nearly 30 years of Z cars, the Bavarian automaker’s iconic open-top sports car is bowing out with no direct successor in sight.
Summary
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BMW has officially ended production of the third-generation Z4 (G29) roadster at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria
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The demise of the Z4—coupled with the discontinuation of the 8 Series Convertible—leaves the 4 Series as the only remaining drop-top model in BMW’s current lineup
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Co-developed with the Toyota GR Supra, which also ended production earlier this spring, the Z4 saw a noticeable spike in sales during its final months on the market
The era of the dedicated BMW two-seater sports car has officially come to a close. After a production run that began in 2018 for the 2019 model year, the third-generation BMW Z4 has rolled off the assembly line at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria for the final time. Ending nearly 30 years of Z-badged roadsters that began with the Z3, the beloved open-top sports car is bowing out to make way for a more streamlined, electrified future from the German marque.
The end of the Z4 wasn’t entirely unexpected. BMW had heavily telegraphed the move by announcing a specialized “Final Edition” late last year, which brought exclusive aesthetic touches and, importantly, a highly requested six-speed manual transmission option to the flagship M40i. Enthusiasts responded enthusiastically to the sports car’s impending retirement, leading to a last-minute spike in sales—deliveries rose by roughly 4.9% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. Still, the overall global volume of the roadster wasn’t enough to justify the immense development costs of a next-generation model in today’s SUV-dominated landscape.
A critical element of the current Z4’s lifecycle was its high-profile co-development with the Toyota GR Supra. Sharing the same platform and powertrains—most notably BMW’s robust 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six (B58)—allowed both brands to economically revive their flagship sports cars. However, with the Supra also ending its Magna Steyr production run this past March, the Z4’s fate was fundamentally sealed. While Toyota has indicated plans to develop a sixth-generation Supra completely in-house, BMW has made it clear that no such successor is currently planned for the Z-car lineage.
The discontinuation of the Z4 represents a major shift in the Bavarian automaker’s broader portfolio. With the 8 Series Convertible also being phased out, the 4 Series will now stand as the solitary convertible offering in the entire BMW lineup.
While a brand-new Z car isn’t on the horizon anytime soon, the final Z4 models—especially the critically acclaimed, enthusiast-focused manual variants—are expected to go down as underappreciated hidden gems of the modern sports car era. For now, driving purists looking to grab one of the last remaining factory-fresh Z4s will have to act quickly before the leftover dealer inventory disappears for good.
