BMW M chief
executive Markus Flasch has confirmed that the next-generation M3 and M4 will
be available with a manual transmission. Both Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport
ditched manual gearboxes years ago, but eager to satisfy its customers’ needs,
BMW has kept producing stick shifts for vehicles such as the M2, M3 and M4.
Next year, an all-new M3 and M4 will launch and there had been some fears that
the manual would go the way of the do-do. Thankfully, that won’t be the case.
When quizzed by BMW
Blog about whether or not there will be any surprises for BMW fans with the new
M3 and M4, Flasch confirmed the availability of a manual and all-wheel drive.
The executive
didn’t confirm if the M3/M4’s all-wheel drive system will have a rear-wheel
drive mode like the M5, but did suggest it could. He also took the time to
reiterate the importance of manual gearboxes for the brand as a whole.
