No more manual M5s
The end of the manual BMW bahnstormer is just around the cornerManual gearbox-loving M owners should prepare for bad news, because BMW will solely engineer the next M5 and M6 with double-clutch transmissions.
M’s head of engineering, Albert Biermann, admitted this week that there were no plans to fit three pedals in the next-generation M6 and M5 because the order rate was too low to justify the added work.
“Last year, maybe 15-20 per cent of our M5s in the USA were manuals and maybe this year it will be 15 per cent. It’s declining,” Mr Biermann warned.
“The trouble is that nobody wants it in Europe or anywhere else, so this will be the last time we do it -- even for hard-core US buyers," he said.
The M5’s six-speed manual transmission has been heavily reworked from its 5 Series origins and sells alongside the seven-speed double-clutch unit as a no-cost option in the USA.
The gearbox will also be a no-cost option on the upcoming M6 Coupe and Convertible, however, BMW does not offer it for sale on any other continent.
“We just can’t justify it anymore. It’s a no-cost option, but it’s been very difficult to do," Mr Bierman stated.
“Theoretically the stick [manual gearbox] is cheaper, but it’s very low volume and we have to strengthen everything in the gearbox and find space for the shifter and another pedal, so it doesn’t work out cheaper [overall],” he explained.
It’s not all bad news, though, with Mr Biermann promising that at least one hard-core M tradition will remain into the foreseeable future.
“The M3 needs to have a stick [manual] shift. It will always have a stick shift,” he insisted.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
