{"id":215485,"date":"2026-04-07T07:33:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/a-company-committed-to-preserving-the-manual-gearbox-at-all-costs-bmw\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:33:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:33:27","slug":"a-company-committed-to-preserving-the-manual-gearbox-at-all-costs-bmw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/a-company-committed-to-preserving-the-manual-gearbox-at-all-costs-bmw\/","title":{"rendered":"A Company Committed to Preserving the Manual Gearbox at All Costs: BMW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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## The Fight for the Manual Gearbox<\/p>\n

The manual gearbox has been hanging by a thread in the automotive world, facing increasing pressure from various fronts. Major manufacturers are phasing it out, emissions regulations are tightening, and suppliers are not keen on producing low-volume manual gearboxes. However, BMW’s M division stands out as a bastion of hope for enthusiasts, committed to keeping the manual transmission alive.<\/p>\n

### BMW’s Commitment<\/p>\n

Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Customers, Brand, and Sales at BMW M, has voiced the company’s determination to maintain the clutch pedal in future models. In an interview with Automobilwoche, she assured fans that engineers are actively seeking solutions to preserve this beloved component in the era of electrification. Though specifics were scarce, her enthusiasm signals a focused effort within the company to navigate the challenges posed by modern engineering and regulation.<\/p>\n

### Technical Challenges Ahead<\/p>\n

One of the primary hurdles is not necessarily power, but the ability to manage torque. BMW M\u2019s inline six-cylinder engines deliver impressive torque figures that current manual gearboxes struggle to handle without risking mechanical integrity. For instance, the BMW M2 CS did not offer a manual gearbox option due to the transmission’s inability to cope with the engine’s torque demand.<\/p>\n

The same S58 engine found in the 3.0 CSL produces 553 horsepower but limits torque to 550 Nm with a manual transmission, while other configurations can push torque by an additional 100 Nm. Frank van Meel, head of BMW M, highlighted the financial impracticality of developing a new manual transmission for just a few models, further complicating the situation.<\/p>\n

### Exploring Solutions: Decelerated Engines<\/p>\n

To address this dilemma, BMW engineers are exploring a creative potential solution: artificially limiting torque in engines paired with a manual transmission. This isn’t a novel approach; it’s already visible in the M2, where the automatic version benefits from 50 Nm more torque compared to its manual counterpart. The pressing question remains\u2014are buyers willing to accept this trade-off in coming models?<\/p>\n

### Remaining Manual Models<\/p>\n

As production wraps up for the Z4 M40i this month, only three BMW M cars will feature a manual gearbox: the M2, M3, and M4. However, the current M3 is nearing the end of its lifecycle, with a replacement expected by 2028. Uncertainty lingers about whether the new generation will include a manual option. Meanwhile, the M2 and M4 still promise exhilarating performance for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

### The Wider Implications of Saving the Manual<\/p>\n

The challenges faced by the manual gearbox are manifold. Stricter emissions regulations in Europe mandate a 55% reduction in fleet emissions by 2030, while automatic vehicles often prove to be more efficient under regulated tests. Additionally, modern driving assistance systems are almost exclusively designed for automatic transmissions, further sidelining manuals. Suppliers, too, prefer mass production of automatics over small runs of manual gearboxes aimed at niche enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

### Navigating the Future<\/p>\n

BMW M appears to be walking a tightrope, neither fully closing the door on manual gearboxes nor wide open to their future. They aim to balance engineering challenges with customer desires, especially for purists who crave the tactile experience of manual driving. While the solution of limiting engine torque may spark debates over performance, it could also provide the driving pleasure that many enthusiasts cherish, even if it comes with some compromises.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

## The Fight for the Manual Gearbox The manual gearbox has been hanging by a thread in the automotive world, facing increasing pressure from various fronts. Major manufacturers are phasing it out, emissions regulations are tightening, and suppliers are not keen on producing low-volume manual gearboxes. However, BMW’s M division stands out as a bastion […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":215486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[17307,6435,541,6229,50946,1849,5378],"class_list":["post-215485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-bmw","tag-committed","tag-company","tag-costs","tag-gearbox","tag-manual","tag-preserving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215485"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215487,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215485\/revisions\/215487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}