The Old Switcheroo: BMW M3 May Preserve Manual Transmission After 2020

by Matt Posky

November 5th, 2018 5:18 PM

the old switcheroo bmw m3 may preserve manual transmission after 2020

BMW previously confirmed that the 3 Series would abandon the manual transmission for the U.S. market, leaving many enthusiasts livid. Then there was talk that the M3 might abandon rear-wheel drive entirely, as the new car’s eight-speed gearbox was designed to work with the modern xDrive system.

However, there may still be hope for a manual option. The brand has allegedly not made up its mind on the matter, at least as far as the M3 is concerned. Still, it remains a pretty slim prospect, as BMW has admitted that manual sales are on a rapid decline and don’t really make it a lot of money.

While any hopes of seeing a traditional stick in the rest of the 3 Series have been dashed, BMW Blog reports that the next M3/M4 might still get them. According to unknown sources from within the company, BMW has not made up its mind on whether the manual should get the axe. However, that’s not exactly any kind of assurance it’ll be available on the next generation M cars.

From BMW Blog:

BMW is also trying to figure out whether the car offered should be all-wheel drive or remain RWD as tradition dictates. At the moment, all possibilities are taken into account in meetings in Munich but if a manual choice is to be offered, chances are it won’t be with the M xDrive system as that’s made to work with the ZF 8-speed gearbox. Creating an all-wheel drive system from scratch to work with a manual gearbox might be too costly to develop and may take too long in the development process.

The outlet also speculated that an easy solution to the rear-drive issue would be to offer an electronic drift mode that sends most of the power to the aft of the vehicle. If that ends up being the case, there would be little sense in developing an archaic substitute for the automatic transmission. The next-gen M3 is scheduled to launch in 2020, with an unknown setup. We’d advise you to hold out hopes — but not your breath — on BMW delivering a version that includes a clutch pedal.

[Image: BMW]

#BMW #BmwM #BmwM3 #MSport #M3 #ManualTransmission #ProductPlanning #Rumors

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 16 comments

Carlisimo on Nov 06, 2018

The way they've been going with steering feel and fake engine noise, they might as well give it a CVT.

Like Reply
Boff on Nov 06, 2018

"The next-gen M3 is scheduled to launch in 2020, with an unknown setup. We’d advise you to hold out hopes — but not your breath — on BMW delivering a version that includes a clutch pedal." That's why I bought a 2018, one of the last new ones in stock. Tried to special order in July-August but they had already stopped production (for Canadian allocation, anyway).

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Inside Looking Out In June 1973, Leonid Brezhnev arrived in Washington for his second summit meeting with President Richard Nixon. Knowing of the Soviet leader’s fondness for luxury automobiles, Nixon gave him a shiny Lincoln Continental. Brezhnev was delighted with the present and insisted on taking a spin around Camp David, speeding through turns while the president nervously asked him to slow down. https://academic.oup.com/dh/article-abstract/42/4/548/5063004
Bobby D'Oppo Great sound and smooth power delivery in a heavier RWD or AWD vehicle is a nice blend, but current V8 pickup trucks deliver an unsophisticated driving experience. I think a modern full-size pickup could be very well suited to a manual transmission.In reality, old school, revvy atmo engines pair best with manual transmissions because it's so rewarding to keep them in the power band on a winding road. Modern turbo engines have flattened the torque curve and often make changing gears feel more like a chore.
Chuck Norton For those worried about a complex power train-What vehicle doesn't have one? I drive a twin turbo F-150 (3.5) Talk about complexity.. It seems reliability based on the number of F-150s sold is a non-issue. As with many other makes/models. I mean how many operations are handle by micro processors...in today's vehicles?
Ravenuer The Long Island Expressway.
Kwik_Shift A nice stretch of fairly remote road that would be great for test driving a car's potential, rally style, is Flinton Road off of Highway 41 in Ontario. Twists/turns/dips/rises. Just hope a deer doesn't jump out at you. Also Highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. Great scenery with lots of hills.