Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWCCA1
I'm simply saying their current line-up does not lend itself to a manual-transmission car. You can't blame lack of "take" for manuals for killing them off if you don't offer them in anything but real "M" cars. For years manuals were the standard transmission and the autos the option. Then came cell phones, Starbucks, and other things that used up all your hands while driving.
I have made my living selling BMWs since 1976, so I think I do know more about it than many currently at BMW. The right car with a manual is a great car. BMW hasn't had their hearts in the manual since around 2011. The F10 with a manual was an ergonomic disaster.
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I remember an F10 manual sitting in my dealership’s showroom for months. I also remember it was about halfway through the E90 run that BMWNA gave in and switched from the manual transmission being standard to the automatic being standard. The overall price of the car didn’t change. They raised the MSRP by $1,200. But, it was a psychological barrier for consumers when they saw this expensive BMW they were buying had to have an automatic transmission added at a cost of $1,200. They never noticed the increase in the MSRP, but they noticed there was no longer a $1,200 charge on the options list. And you are correct, that was a turning point in BMWNA’s view of the manual transmission.