The company is determined not to lose the stick-shift, despite people ordering manual M2s.
BMW M, despite the market trend and declining sales of the manual transmission, is standing against the grain and promising to keep the manual transmission alive. According to Frank van Meel (BMW M chief), as reported by UK’s Autocar.
BMW M’s boss pointed out the demand for stick shifts based on M2 orders. Van Meel stated that 50 percent of M2 orders were for the manual transmission, making it vital for the company to continue to support it despite all the drawbacks.
It is technically unwise to save it. It is heavier and slower than the other option, and it has a lower fuel consumption. The manual is loved by both the customer and the fans. It provides a link that allows them to show they can control the beast. That’s what the manual is all about. We want to keep it,” van Meel told Autocar.
Many companies have either announced or abandoned manual transmission. Volkswagen stated that stick-shifts would be retired by 2030. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, announced that it will gradually remove manual gearboxes starting in 2023.
Van Meel says that manual gearboxes make BMW M cars more emotional. Van Meel stated that the US is BMW’s largest market for manual M vehicles and that customers should be able to say they want it.
“For the M2, every second vehicle is purchased with a manual. People want to be able to handle the beast. Van Meel said that if they have a way to prove they can, they will want it.
The debut of the next-generation M2 is this year. The M2 prototype that we drove has an eight-speed auto, but a six-speed manual gearbox was confirmed to be standard.