There’s Less Than 12 Months Left To Buy Two Of America’s Last 300-HP Manual Cars

True driving enthusiasts are on notice. They don’t have much time to buy one of two iconic models, some of the last high-performance manual sports cars in the country, before they disappear from dealer lots for good. The clock is certainly ticking for those who really value the joy of the stick, as production of the Toyota GR Supra 3.0 and BMW Z4 M40i manuals will cease in May 2026. It’s time to act, as these analog performers are about to become the unfortunate victims of “progress.”

There’s Still Time, But Not Much

Production of both six-speed models should have ended in March 2026, but the manufacturers have just announced a brief reprieve. Unfortunately, consumers, in general, don’t really like these manual transmissions anymore and the industry is pivoting quickly towards automatic and electric drivetrains. This makes it difficult for Toyota and BMW to market these rear-wheel-drive, 300+ hp manual vehicles, and they’re rapidly approaching the end of the line.

The Manual Supra And Z4 – An Unusual Collaboration

The Toyota GR Supra and BMW Z4 share a common platform and are the result of a joint venture between the two manufacturing giants. Of course, such joint ventures are becoming increasingly commonplace in this competitive and cutthroat market, but here, the union reflects a mutual respect for rear-wheel-drive dynamics. These companies build the cars at Magna Steyr’s plant in Graz, Austria, but there’s also a lot of input from BMW’s performance team and Toyota Gazoo Racing. The cars also share the same engine, which is the classic B58 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. It gives 382 hp and 368 lb.-ft of torque and drivers love it for its smooth nature, while tuners adore it for its flexibility.

Both Toyota and BMW have a reputation for listening to their consumers and producing enthusiast-oriented vehicles, but these particular cars are still something of an afterthought. When Toyota launched the revised Supra in 2020, it only had an eight-speed automatic, and purists wondered why they couldn’t get a driver-focused alternative to go up against vehicles like the Nissan Z or Mustang GT. So, in 2022, Toyota bolted the six-speed manual onto the Supra, and it was a beauty, with shortened gearing, a rev-matching system, and lots of enthusiast input.

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In 2024, BMW was to introduce a manual option for its Z4 M40i and this was, perhaps, a bolder move. After all, the Z4 was more of a luxury roadster than anything else and meant to give its owners comfort and refinement. Nevertheless, BMW created this driving enthusiast’s dream, even though it would also represent the vehicle’s last hurrah.

The Story Behind These Niche Vehicles

There’s no doubt that the GR Supra and Z4 in their manual guise are certainly niche and will never be volume sellers. After all, in countries like the US, manual uptake is only between 15% and 25%, which means that most buyers opt for the faster-shifting eight-speed automatic instead. But still, Toyota loves to lean on its roots and heritage and, in the Supra name, has something that’s synonymous with rear-wheel-drive thrills and tuner culture. Decision makers listened to the backlash they received when they only made an automatic version, and made sure that they would not simply insert the manual transmission but would also add specific refinements and suspension tweaks.

While Toyota has a great deal of racing and rallying pedigree, BMW is typically a little more reserved. Certainly, the German company does take to the track for brand recognition, but when it comes to adding a manual to the Z4, this was more surprising. Perhaps the company’s decision was more of a swansong flourish as it aimed to close out the generation with an old-school transmission instead. Still, the result is good with a much sharper Z4 that has great weight distribution and makes full use of its lower center of gravity.

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Rarity Means Long-Term Value

It’s highly likely that both these Supras and Z4s will become collector cars in the future, especially as there will be far fewer manual versions than automatic counterparts. After all, we’ve seen what happened with limited production manuals in the past, such as the original NSX. Scarcity always tends to drive up long-term desirability and with that goes the value. So, a final year build should be sought after in the future and especially if it has an unusual color combo or special package.

How the Landscape Is Changing Fast

Very few high-performance vehicles in the US still offer a manual transmission and the era of enthusiast cars is going through a seismic shift. Just consider that dwindling list, including the Chevrolet Camaro SS, which is disappearing from dealer lots, or the Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse. Cadillac has the CT4V and fabulous CT5V Blackwing, while Porsche has the 911 Carrera GTS and GT3. On the low end of the market is the Mazda MX5 Miata.

All these vehicles are living on borrowed time and even Porsche, which is renowned for its high-performance offerings, is cutting things back. Much of this change is due to stricter emissions regulations that make it harder for manual transmissions to comply, plus there’s no doubt that automatic systems can be faster and more fuel efficient. Crucially, it’s far easier to pair an automatic with an electrified drivetrain, but perhaps most importantly, younger drivers just don’t want to learn how to drive a stick. That’s been the case for some time now, with the resulting change in consumer demand.

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What Will Replace the Supra and Z4?

Toyota and BMW have not said what they’re going to do to replace these cars and, indeed, there’s unlikely to be a next-generation Z4 at all. Toyota continues to invest heavily in hydrogen and performance-based hybrid platforms and its Gazoo Racing division goes from strength to strength. There is talk about a next-generation Supra that could appear before 2030, but it’s likely to be electrified in some way and will almost certainly be automatic. So that leaves the current GR Supra and Z4 manuals as the high watermark for the analog era.

Not Much Time to Act

As production will stop in May 2026, people who want one of these vehicles will have to act much sooner. The ordering windows are likely to close at the beginning of next year and, given what’s likely to be strong global demand for a relatively small allocation, expect the tap to run dry months in advance. And if you want a specific color combination or a limited run package, such as the Supra 45th Anniversary edition, you’ll need to get your skates on. In fact, don’t be surprised if most US dealerships close their retail order options from the third quarter of this year.

As far as pricing is concerned, the base manual Supra 3.0 model starts at around $56,000, while the Z4 M40i is slightly higher at $68,000. These prices depend on the options you choose and while they’re not particularly cheap, it’s still good value for what you’re getting. After all, don’t forget that the manual Z4 and GR Supra are now more than just cars, but milestones. They represent a closing chapter in this story of American car culture, and before you know it, you’ll be facing one of the last opportunities to get a true manual performance car.

Sources: Toyota, BMW.