Death of Manual Transmission for BMW M5 and M6

BMW confirms that there will not be any BMW M5 and M6 with manual transmission. This is sad news for BMW enthusiasts who are loyal to manuals. BMW M Division CEO Frank van Meel confirms this in an interview with Car & Driver.

After this fall, the BMW M5 with the V-8 engine and six speed stick shift will no longer be available in all markets, says Van Meel. This version was specifically released for the US market in the past but it turns out, the demand has dropped to zero. The same reason was given with the BMW M6, which will also not get any manual transmission versions in the future. 

Van Meel says that customers can still purchase the seven speed dual clutch automatic version of the BMW M5 and this is what performed well in terms of demand. Also, this version costs BMW less to produce than the significant costs that entails the production of the twin-turbocharged V-8 manual shift ones. At this point, BMW can’t find a reason to save the manuals and go through the extensive costs in developing and producing them.

So why had it reached virtually zero demand? The test and review released by Car & Driver in the past might help to explain it. While they were rallying on the side of saving the manuals, they were not thrilled with the performance of the current generation M5 manual car. It is highly likely that the BMW enthusiasts also felt the same way. 

For those who really want to purchase manuals, Van Meel says that BMW will not remove this option for the BMW M2, M3 and M4. These more compact models will help quench the thirst of those who are drawn to the driving dynamics of manual BMW cars. 

Goodbye, manual BMW M5 and M6. We’ll see you in our dreams!