M4 Likely To Be The Last Ever BMW Available With A Manual
Despite being an extremely niche option in many markets, BMW will indeed be offering a manual transmission with the next M4. Praise be.
When asked by Road and Track if the replacement for the F82 M4 will be available with stick, BMW development board boss Klaus Frohlich confirmed the good news. “I think it should survive in the next generation of M4…so my promise is, yes, there will be a manual in the successor to M4,” he said.
What’s more, it’s likely a future M4 will be the last BMW to have a manual ‘box. “I think, in the overall portfolio, manuals will disappear. But I think M4 should be the fortress of manual. So the last manual transmission which will die, it should die in an M4, as late as possible,” he said.
Low demand is the biggest hurdle facing powerful BMW manuals. Munich isn’t able to invest in developing a new manual to take the kind of high torque outputs associated with its pokier models, and “No transmission partner will do that [develop a manual] with us,” Frohlich notes.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
What about the M2? From what I’ve seen there are a lot more manual M2 than there are automatics. I seriously doubt the statement that the next gen M4 will be the last BMW with a manual.
That all sounds like it only applies to M cars. That stuff about handling torque. In Germany, many (i’m not sure, but i think the majority) bmws are still sold as manuals.
In my opinion, the manual car should be the M2. The M4 has become rather large and heavy and is probably mostly bought with auto. To me, the M2 best represents the best of BMW.
That’s hella sad.
I would love to learn how to drive a manual. But at this rate by the time I master it, there wont be any manual cars left.
Most of us will never have one anyways
Why is everybody whining about manuals but when it comes to buying everyone gets an automatic? Or is it just a couple of fanboys that never driven those cars…
im not crying you are
Younger kids are less and less interested in car culture, unfortunately. BMW is going where the money is, and you can’t blame them. Sad, but this will leave other companies to tackle that market.
Someone please make a cheap, light, RWD 4-door sedan with charisma.
No!! I wish the M2 competition was available with a manual. This is truly a tragedy. #SaveTheManuals