BMW exec says manual gearboxes no longer make sense

BMW could soon say goodbye to the manual transmission

Despite losing popularity, the good ol’ stick shift is still regarded by enthusiasts as a must-have for sports cars, exotics, and high-performance vehicles. On the other end of the spectrum, some drivers prefer to row their own on their daily drivers despite the convenience (and modernity) of newer automatic gearboxes.

By and large, however, automatic transmissions are now the norm in terms of sales and preference as the manual gearbox is set to ride off into the sunset. In some vehicles, for instance, the manual transmission is being replaced with an automated manual transmission (AMT) wherein an electronic device controls the clutch instead of the driver.

While the manual gearbox’s days are numbered, there are still brands that continue to offer a stick shift for their vehicles. One of those is BMW, which still offers a manual option for vehicles like the M2, M3, M4, and the Z4. However, BMW may soon eventually join its closest rivals (Mercedes-Benz and Audi) in ditching the manual transmission entirely.

In a recent interview with Italian publication Quattroroute, Frank Weber, a member of BMW’s board stated that the manual transmission’s days are over. With low sales figures for cars equipped with manuals, Weber shared that it doesn’t justify BMW development costs for stick-shifts.

“They are fun products, but let’s be honest, the volumes are getting smaller and smaller, and so it doesn’t make sense to develop them anymore,” said Weber to the publication.

The executive did not say when BMW will actually stop offering manual transmissions for its vehicles. However, he did say that if buyers want a manual BMW, they better buy them now. Perhaps this is Weber saying that it might not be long before the automaker drops the manual transmission altogether.

Will we see BMW drop the manual gearbox this year?

Source: Carscoops via Quattroroute