BMW Says Customer Demand Made The Manual Transmission Possible In The M2 - How Many Other Cars Still Deserve The Stick?

911's, all ferrari's and lambo's, corvettes and mustangs.
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I the "old" days, a manual transmission had a number of performance advantages over an automatic transmission:
- Better fuel economy
- Quicker acceleration
- Increased durability and lower operating costs
- More precise driving experience
Races were won with a stick at hand, so in the very least, if you were a performance oriented driver, or at least wanted to appear like one, you wanted a stick, like the racers.

Today, with the advantages offers by sophisticated sequential shift automatic or dual-clutch (automatic) transmissions, the advantages have been turned against the mighty stick. With a good multi-gear (e.g., 7+ speeds) automatic at hand, they offer better slightly better fuel economy, quicker acceleration, comparable longevity, and even have paddle shifters. Todays F1 racers all have paddles on their steering wheel because they can shift faster, and never miss a shift, with a sequential automatic transmission as compared to a manual transmission with clutch. These world-class racers dump pride and perception in favor what it takes to win a race, so they opt for a good automatic over a stick.

So you can save a grand or two by buying a stick over an automatic transmission in a premium or luxury car, and that's cool, but aside from that, what does a stick give you? If we can put the rationalizing rhetoric aside as to why it's better, the primary reason for having a stick is because the owner/driver ENJOYS it over an automatic transmission. That's reason enough. You don't need to justify why you like something. You can't be wrong for liking what you like.

What car "deserves" a stick? Any car where a sufficient number of buyers will pony up the cash and buy it with a stick, and won't buy it without. Sadly, many manufacturers are dropping manual transmissions because they just can't sell enough units with a stick to make it worth their while. Customers simply buy the car with an automatic if that's all that's offered. Examples include the US-bound Mercedes SL, McLarens, Labos, etc.


Disclosure: I've driven ONLY a stick and motorcycles, all with standard transmissions, for over 3 decades, and loved them, so I'm not "anti-stick." I've just recently got my first vehicle with an automatic transmission, and I like it. I don't miss the stick, but that's just me.

They will take my stick away from me like Charlton Heston said "from my cold dead hand!" Cars that should have stick that don't now...BMW 5 series and all M cars, Land-Rover Evoque, R8 Audi, Ferrari, Lambos, and Mercedes C63.

The Stick is dead. Get over it.

As this article shows us, your reports of "The Stick is dead" are greatly exaggerated. As long as there are enough stick enthusiasts to influence a specific model (e.g., make it worth the manufacturer's while), the manufacturer will meet that demand. Also, if you go to Europe, you'll notice standard transmissions in abundance in passenger vehicles! One belief there is that Americans are such poor drivers, manufacturers have to "dummy down" vehicle operation by replacing that overly complex clutch and stick with a much simpler automatic transmission.

I say: To each their own!

yes yes I know how the dual clutch autos now do everything better, faster, more efficiently than a manual tranny. However no auto can give you the same driver engagement that a manual tranny can give you. Further it is a skill that most people today do not have. Not only that virtually every automotive journalist that writes up a review of high performance sports car or super car there is always a regret that the car did not come with a manual tranny. That would include such cars as the Porsche GT3/RS, Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Hurricane, Any Aston Martin, even the Alfa 4C.There is no question these cars are faster around a track with their current automatics. However the driving accolades of the Porsche Cayman GT4 with it's 6 speed only manual show that manuals still enhance the driving experience. The new Ford Focus RS still only comes in a manual tranny. It's not only about how fast the track time is. It is also the driving experience and the skill to drive it right. The manual is NOT dead yet!

mini22 wrote "...However no auto can give you the same driver engagement that a manual tranny can give you..."

Do you believe that the world's best racers, those incredible F1 drivers, are "less engaged" because of the sole fact that they're using paddles instead of a clutch pedal and stick? I certainly don't.

mini22, you don't need to rationalize your preference for a stick to anyone. You don't need to argue that a stick is "better." Enjoy, my friend! Enjoy! :-)

TheSteve - - - Poor analogy. F1 drivers only care about the fastest way around the track while their 50+ engineers worry about the engagement part. If you look at a F1 steering wheel it will become apparent they actively control multiple aspects of the car, sometimes adjusting brake bias and Diff setting on a corner to corner basis - - - the last thing they need to be doing is manually shifting a car. F1 steering wheel image: http://i.imgur.com/A9wwsNE.jpg

And for manual lovers everywhere, Blip shift just released their St. Manual Shirt:
https://www.blipshift.com/products/st-manual?utm_source=blipshift+Updates&utm_campaign=588062042c-St_Manual1_19_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0513fd2cb9-588062042c-340692793&mc_cid=588062042c&mc_eid=dacce4a3d4

I think stick shift should be available in every vehicle. If they can build it for other markets, why not all markets? I understand it would be a special order option, but would be nice to have available!
I rented a manual transmission VW Tiguan when was in Europe. Thank god I don't drive manual! I enjoy it, but sitting in traffic for 3.5 hours from Munich to Salzburg definitely sucked. Everywhere we went there was traffic. Never got to enjoy the Autobahn and rarely made it out of 2nd gear.

In Europe, cars are still factory ordered for the most part, but in N.A., they are dealer ordered. Dealers can move an automatic. They are the OEM's customer, not the end user. They dictate N.A. tastes. Only cars like the M2, GT4 and Focus, where are most likely factory ordered can a manual make sense.

Porsche's mistake with the GT3 will be rectified in the 991.2 version. Not before the special edition 911 R can add to the mystique of the 911 and the manual transmission.