A BMW M car and a manual transmission just make perfect sense. Sheer Driving Pleasure comes from a direct connection to the car, and when engines like the soulful V8 in the E92-generation BMW M3 are involved, it can really add to the experience. Unfortunately, the manual transmission’s days are numbered, and the automaker mainly blames hybrid powertrains for taking this old-fashioned fun away from us.
While BMW refuses to say if the stick shift is fully dead, it still faces technical barriers with the torque limit of its current transmission systems. It’ll be a sad day when this decades-old feature is taken away from us, though it may be looking more likely than ever. Here’s why.
The Rise Of Electrification Makes Manuals Uncertain
2027 BMW 3 Series introductionBMW
Hybrids and manuals simply don’t mix. There have been very few electrified manuals before, limited to mild-hybrid systems in mainly economical city runabouts like the Honda Insight or Honda CR-Z. With an automatic, automakers are able to dial in exactly when electrical assistance kicks in and the engine turns off. A driver changing their own gears is far more unpredictable for the car’s ECU to manage. While simulated manuals have become a new niche, it’ll likely be a few years before Munich catches up.
The problem also comes from the increased torque of an electric motor. This is where the issue with BMW’s manual sets in. The six-speed unit used in the BMW M2, M3, and M4 is only rated to 480 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque. That’s why only the base models are available with a manual and cars like the M2 CS can only be chosen with an automatic. When the M2 was facelifted for 2026, it gained a horsepower boost across all trims but only the automatic got a torque increase to 442 lb-ft, or more than the manual can handle.
Now with tightening emissions regulations, every new 3 Series is set to get mild-hybrid technology. While we don’t know the exact powertrain details of the latest M3, we do know that it’ll have a mild hybrid system. That’s already been confirmed for the M-lite M350 model, which produces 428 lb-ft of torque, already more than the current M gearbox can take. Pair the torque problem with the mild-hybrid problem, and you get a gearbox that doesn’t really make sense.
BMW Management Won’t Rule Out Future Manual Models
2027 BMW 3 Series introductionBMW
All signs point to manuals being dead in BMW’s future vehicles, but the company refuses to say that they are gone for good. Speaking with BMWBlog at the M Festival in Shanghai earlier this month, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel said that “it’s going to be really difficult” and it’s an “emotional” situation. But when pressed on a full phase out of the stick shift, he said “it’s not off the table” and that “they are always trying to find solutions.”
We could see an investment in building new manual transmissions, but it’s becoming more and more of a niche. The M2, M3, and M4 already don’t sell in huge numbers like the non-M cars, and with not all models sold being manual, it makes it even more of a niche. BMW did create one 560-horsepower manual model, which was the modern 3.0 CSL, but these are limited-run models that commanded a near-million-dollar base price.
2027 BMW 3 Series introductionBMW
The lack of confirmation about the continuation of the manual models may be bad PR for BMW, which is why the automaker doesn’t want to announce anything. It doesn’t want to have that issue when it’s currently trying to reinvent itself with the Neue Klasse range. With the M2 continuing production until around the end of the decade, BMW has time to figure out what it will do for the next generation. This generation, the M2 switched to the M3 platform, meaning its engines and technology are shared. Could the 2 Series become a more driver-focused line?
Most recently, the M3 CS Handschalter put the manual back in the limelight with a special series of sports sedan models that kept the driver in the focus. Instead of going for ultimate power, this model focuses on the driver with a stick-shift transmission and lightened components. This model sold out extremely quickly – and with this response to such a focused and niche model, it may give BMW some inspiration to continue, even if it’s only for rarer variants.
The Market For Manuals Is Certainly Still There
2025 BMW M2 front grilleBMW
Apparently, half of all BMW M2s sold in the US are chosen with a manual transmission. It’s a shrinking market, sure, but for the small minority of people who buy high-performance coupes, it’s still an important consideration. Porsche used to be the M2’s biggest competitor for small manual sports cars, but with the brand going all-in on an all-electric future with the Cayman, that competition looks to have changed its direction somewhat. This M2 now fills a gap in the market, and BMW will want to corner the manual buyers for as long as possible.
With the manual M3 CS Handschalter selling out so quickly and the market for ultra-rare manual models like the 3.0 CSL still there, it could represent a shift to the stick shift being reserved for only the most special models. With Ferrari’s simulated manual transmission and McLaren’s real third pedal coming to the top of the market soon, the hope for trickle-down technology has never been more apparent. Could BMW go down the Ferrari route? We’d love to see it – leave the easy automatic driving to Mercedes and Audi, and the driving enthusiasts will flock to BMW.
While the numbers are slightly down across the board, we do know that in 2025, around 33% of M4 buyers went with a third pedal and around half for the M3 sedan. These numbers are similar to other cars in the US, like the Nissan Z or Porsche 911 GT3, but it’s still a niche product. It’s not as simple as building a transmission that can handle the power. The automaker also has to build the tooling, production lines, and all the in-car accommodations for the system – and the numbers just don’t add up.
What Cars Can Still Be Chosen With A Manual?
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There are still automakers that refuse to let the manual die. Most recently, Porsche, one of the most stubborn companies against letting the third pedal die, has announced that buyers can now opt for the Carrera S with a manual. This fills a gap between the Carrera T and GT3, the latter of which is the fastest manual around the Nürburgring. Of course, it’s not as practical as a sports sedan M car, but it’s still an important brand for this market.
Otherwise, you’re looking at the Honda Civic Type-R, Subaru BRZ, or maybe most famously, the Ford Mustang GT. For the latter, it just feels right, maybe even more than with a BMW. A 5.0L engine with a six-speed – a match made in heaven. So, while BMW may refuse to say what the future of the manual holds, other brands are more open about keeping the tradition alive. At least, until they’re forced to develop hybrid powertrains that won’t mate with a manual at all.
Base Trim Engine
3L I6 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
6-speed manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
473 HP @6250 RPM
Base Trim Torque
406 lb.-ft. @ 2650 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
16/23/19 MPG
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Sources: BMW, BMWBlog.
