[9] BMW unveiled a concept coupé version of the Z4 at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The production car was introduced at the New York Auto Show in April 2006 and was available for sale in late May 2006.

[16] The roof has a "double-bubble" contour which serves as an aerodynamic aid and offers more headroom than the roadster with the soft top closed.

[17][18] Transmission choices were a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic with shift paddles mounted on the steering column.

[20] The Z4 used lightweight materials to offset the increased weight over the smaller Z3, such as an aluminum hood and suspension components, magnesium roof frame.

[21] The 6-cylinder engines included all-alloy construction, variable valve timing (double-VANOS), and throttle by wire.

An optional "Sport Package" included added stiffer and lower suspension, 18 inch wheels, and sport tuned electronic steering, throttle and shift parameters ("Dynamic Driving Control").

The M Coupé's production began at the Spartanburg BMW plant in Greer on 4 April 2006.

The Alpina Roadster S is a high-performance iteration of the pre-facelift Z4 introduced at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Roadster S was produced for two years (2004 to 2005) before production was halted due to stricter emission regulations stopping engine supplies.

Other features of the concept car include 20-inch alloy wheels with 245/40R20 tyres, permanently integrated sidewalls, swing-up cockpit, an LED headlight panel, silver-coloured carbon-fibre reinforced plastic body and an interior constructed from stainless steel, untreated cowhides and Lycra fabric.

[45] The Z4 facelift (also known as LCI) models were launched at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

[50] The Z4M Roadster had a total worldwide production of 5,070, including 3,042 cars for the North American market.

[52][53] Even from its introduction in 2006, the Coupé was relatively rare: In its first 13 months on the market, the roadster outsold it at a ratio of 7 to 1.

[56] In North America, the 3.0si coupe was only available for sale in the United States although a number were imported into Canada from the US.

The yearly breakdown of North American market coupe production totals are as follows:[57] Dieter Quester, Dirk Werner, Jamie Campell-Walter and Tim Mullen won the Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour race with a BMW Z4 M Coupé.

[59] In the 2008 Super Taikyu Endurance Series in Japan, the Petronas Syntium Team entered two Z4M cars.

[61] The cars were driven by established and popular drivers such as Fariqe Hairuman, Nobuteru Taniguchi, Masataka Yanagida, Manabu Orido and father and son pairing of Hans-Joachim Stuck and Johannes Stuck.