[tranquility]

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

They're looking at this all backward.

If they made fun, light, quick, great handling cars with manual transmissions they'd find the market.

But when you make only over-powered, heavy, luxury cars for rich folks, you reap what you sow. Just sticking a manual in such cars is not really what people want. Nor is it even appropriate.

Go back to the 1M if you want to find your market. Or even my 128i M-sport stick, which could be the last 4-wheeled BMW I ever buy!

I agree, was just looking at the latest M2 and they intentionally made the AT (ugh, even though it's the touted ZF) better performance-wise, w better gearing and more suited for the car than the MT. It's sad that the 2-series is supposed to be (near) their smallest car but it comes in at 3,814 lbs/1,730kg(!).

That guy was a bit snarky but has a pt: unfortunately, most ppl don't care about performance (in terms of handling). They did make those cars as you've said, it's called 'Lotus' and they had to be saved by Geely as the Brit brand was losing so much money. Ppl simply want big nasty straight-line speed vehicles that pretend to be all-in-ones nowadays. Why do you think we have M SUVs? Insane.

Anyway, 'save the manuals', what about 'save the DCTs'? They were phased out even earlier at least at BMW. I'm a pragmatist, there used to be a time when having a MT meant better performance but that time had long sailed off. DCTs are still the pinnacle in performance but BMW decided to go w a slushbox for cost-savings and anticipating the full move to EVs. There's something about an AT M car that doesn't sit right w me.