It's no secret that the manual transmission is becoming a less-and-less common transmission option in modern vehicles. We've heard how even Subaru Executives are warding away from the option. Despite previous claims, BMW's M Division intends to give manuals one more chance.

According to BMW M Division head Frank Van Meel, the next cycle of M vehicles will include a manual option. Meel did add the caveat that as autonomy continues to rise, the manual will fade away.

“The BMW M2 Competition still has the manual for a reason, because in the U.S. we have more than a 50-percent take rate on manual transmissions for the M2.
. . .
The bad news is that if we one day have autonomous cars, then the manual cannot work anymore. So that would be, let’s say, the natural end. But that’s still some time away.”


Manual vehicles used to be a standard in both recreational and performance driving. But as automatic options become more efficient and reliable, car culture has shifted toward that. With the recent development of electric cars, which don't exactly have transmissions the same way combustion engines do, they're becoming even less common.

Though the fact remains, if you want to see manual cars, the best way to do it is by buying manual cars.