Marko Hanželic
Frank Weber, an important member of BMW's board of directors, says the brand's manual transmissions on the brink of extinction, also for M models, which are intended for petrol enthusiasts.
Auto industry leaders have been saying for years that the manual transmission's days are numbered, and while there are still quite a few options on the market, their numbers are dwindling. BMW was one of the last rebels in the luxury segment, as buyers of models M2, M3, M4 and recently Z4 M40i it still offers the option to shift itself, while Mercedes and Audi have done away with manual shifting.
However it is Frank Weber in a recent interview with an Italian publication Four wheels said that the end of manual transmission models is nearing, as sales numbers do not justify the cost of development.
Weber did not give an exact date for when it will be BMW canceled all options regarding the manual transmission, but that could happen soon, adding: "If you want a manual transmission in an M, you have to buy it now."
"These are fun cars, but let's be honest, the quantities are getting smaller and smaller, so it doesn't make sense to develop them anymore," he said.
Interestingly, Weber's statements were published just a few weeks after BMW unveiled the model Z4 M40i with the option of a six-speed manual transmission and confirmed its sale in North America. This is the first time that Z4 G29 in the US sold with a manual transmission, and comes two years after its close relative Toyota Supra available with a six-speed gearbox.
Demand for BMW manual transmissions proved exceptional in the US last year, accounting for approx. 20% of all M3 and M4 sold and more than half of M2 sales. Despite these numbers, they are clearly not enough to do so BMW convinced of the long-term existence of their manual gearboxes.
