2024-02-16 07:35:28
Frank Weber, a key member of the board of directors at BMW, admits that the end of manual transmissions in the brand’s cars is fast approaching, including in the most powerful M models. According to Weber, the sales of the manual transmission cars did not justify the development costs. Weber didn’t specify an exact date when BMW will ditch all its manual options, but it could be soon. “If you want a manual M model, you have to buy it now. They’re fun cars, but let’s be honest, the quantities are getting smaller and smaller, so there’s no point in developing them any more,” says Weber.
The boss’s comments come shortly after BMW introduced the Z4 M40i with the option of a six-speed manual transmission.
Demand for BMW’s manual transmission models proved strong in the US last year, accounting for roughly 20% of all M3 and M4 sales, as well as more than half of M2 sales. Despite these figures, they are clearly not enough to convince the Bavarian company of the long-term viability of manual transmissions.