BMW Drops Manual Transmission Option for M5 and M6 Cars

BMW AG won’t offer a manual transmission in its high-performance M5 and M6 cars after the end of the current model year in the U.S., the only market where buyers still have that choice.

The standard 7-speed dual-clutch automatic will be the only transmission available on 2017 models. The move, which has been rumored for several years, was finalized as demand for M5 and M6s with a 6-speed manual “dropped to zero,” BMW M head Frank van Meel tells Car and Driver.

BMW will continue to offer the 6-speed gearbox on its smaller M2, M3 and M4 performance cars. In these vehicles, the transmission is teamed with an inline-six engine. The larger models paired the transmission with a twin-turbo V-8, which required special shifting algorithms to manage the higher torque levels.