This 500-HP BMW Z4 Shows the Firepower the Final Edition Never Got

Key Points

• BMW ends Z4 with a cosmetic-focused Final Edition, no mechanical upgrades.
• G-Power boosts the Z4 M40i to 500 hp with extensive engine hardware upgrades.
• G-Power's $15,000 package emphasizes performance, contrasting BMW’s subdued farewell model.

A Dying Nameplate, Touched by G-Power
The BMW Z4’s retirement has become official with the recently introduced Final Edition. The package focuses on design touches such as Frozen Black paint, shadowline accents, and a tidier interior finish. It makes for a clean and low-volume collectible, though it does not change the way the Z4 drives. For fans who wanted more than a cosmetic send-off, the Final Edition signaled the end of the line without much fire.

This is where G-Power comes in. The company’s Z4 M40i program offers a different attitude altogether. Instead of styling tweaks, the headline here is 500 metric horsepower, which equates to about 493 hp, along with torque increasing from the stock 369 lb-ft to about 516 lb-ft. It gives the Z4 the kind of urgency many wished BMW had delivered from the factory.

Hardware First, Software Second
As with most G-Power creations, the GP-500 software only works when combined with its full stack of hardware. That includes the GP-550 turbocharger upgrade, featuring higher boost, larger compressor and turbine wheels, CNC-milled housings, reduced backpressure, and improved thermal behavior. The package also relies on a sport downpipe with a high-flow 200-cell metal catalyst designed to lower exhaust temperatures while sharpening the response of the turbo.

The GP-DEEPTONE stainless-steel exhaust system is part of the requirement, too. It features quad carbon-fiber tips and a dual-flap layout that replaces the factory’s single-flap setup. G-Power also specifies a new charge-air watercooler developed in CAD with CFD analysis for improved thermal conductivity. With these components installed, the engine software can be adapted three-dimensionally to deliver more power, better efficiency, and a stronger torque curve.

A $15,000 Package
Inside, G-Power leaves the cabin largely untouched, which means owners can stick with their preferred Z4 interior spec. The focus is purely mechanical, so the roadster keeps its OEM diagnostics and drivability while gaining stronger performance under load.

Without the optional equipment, which includes speed limiter removal and added burble to exhaust note, among others, the complete G-Power package costs 14,738 euros, which works out to about the mid-$15,000 range. Not a cheap upgrade, but one that gives you a powerful version of the dying nameplate.

The G-Power Z4 is the complete opposite of the Frozen Black-painted Final Edition. One is a farewell piece, while the other is an argument for why the Z4 didn’t need to bow out quietly.