M5 No manual option of future M5/6

[Deckhook]

According to WCF the current M5/6 will be the last to be offered in manual form, BMW say that uptake is only 15% and it's not cost effective to offer this option in future though the M3 will continue with this option.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/112062145621/bmw-m5-and-m6-manual-transmission-axed-on-next-gen

 

[Zafiro]

This M5 shouldnt have manual at all. DSG+M5= Superiority

 

[Deckhook]

We both know that but there are some that still think manual is a necessity in a big heavy luxury laden saloon. lol

 

[Giannis]

We both know that but there are some that still think manual is a necessity in a big heavy luxury laden saloon. lol

A necessity? Certainly not.

A detail that makes the driving experience totally different? Most certainly.

Would a manual transmission make the car more effective? Most probably not. But the smile on the driver's face would be even bigger.

 

[Deckhook]

And yet the uptake suggests that precious few give a f*** about rowing their own gears.

 

[Giannis]

Too bad for them

 

[Deckhook]

^Too bad for those precious few it seems if this report is true.

 

[Giannis]

Yeap, us, genuine driving enthusiasts are becoming extinct.

 

[Bartek S.]

I hope this is not true. I don't see how you can enjoy M5 with automatic trany.

 

[martinbo]

Do I cry big crocodile tears at the lack of a manual 'box in an 2000kg luxo-barge? Heck no. Would I want a manual in the utterly epic XJ Supersport? You must be joking...

Is a supposed driver's car like the RS4 worse off for not offering a manual as an option? Would the next M3 lose much of its loyal following (and a significant portion of its customer base) if it didn't offer a manual gearbox? Or the next 911 GT3?
In all of the cases above, my take is - yes.

It's really down to a question of character: the manual gearbox isn't going to disappear as long as the internal combustion engine's around and certain cars "owe" it to the manual gearbox fans - simply by virtue of the success gained from them.

There's no shame in being able to drive a manual properly, in pushing yourself as a driver to master the controls (archaic they may be but their ubiquity in umpteen millions of vehicles is undeniable) and to be involved in the activity of driving to the maximum.

Carmakers should encourage customers to buy manual in the appropriate vehicle classes. Being able to properly drive a manual makes you a better driver; keeps your brain wired into the act (art) of driving as opposed to communicating or being online or being entertained while behind the wheel. It keeps you "driving fit", focused, less easily distracted.

That said, if a twin-turbo V8 juggernaut of a car - even if it does only come with a self-shifter - doesn't command your attention at the helm then perhaps you need to lower your Prozac dosage.

 

[Deckhook]

^Agreed, certain car need it.....hell no they demand it but with others it's simply out of character. I also agree everyone should be able to use a manual gearbox properly, you not only learn to art of clutching but you also learn about engine braking and the appropriate gear, that's why my son's first car is a manual, as will his next one.