Automatic transmissions have taken over the world. Period. There are so many cars that are now sold as automatics-only that we are in a time where manual cars are a niche. The same applies to BMW M, except that there is a blessing in disguise that has kept stick-shifting alive – the M2. How, you ask?

Thank you, M2

According to Frank van Meel, the head of the division, BMW M is not planning on dropping the manuals altogether, but this will eventually happen in the future; and from the looks of it, it is the M2 that’s keeping them from doing it. The car is the cheapest M one can buy today. It has the ‘weakest’ engine, with 365 horses on the tap, which is much lesser than its siblings, and rightly makes it the most suited candidate for a manual gearbox.

Speaking to Car Advice, Frank van Meel said “Buyers vote with their wallets. Being an engineer, I would say from a rational standpoint that even though the manual gearbox is lighter than an automated gearbox, it uses more fuel and is slower, so it doesn’t really make sense. But from the emotional standpoint, a lot of customers say ‘I don’t care, I want to have one.’ As long as we have these take rates on M2, we’re going to offer manuals because we listen to our customers… If demand is so high, then why not fulfill it?” he added.

Our Take

These days, we have various types of automatic transmissions that give seamless gear shifts and faster 0-60 mph times compared to their manual counterparts. However, it’s no match to stick-shifting. The pleasure of having complete control over the car is something that, perhaps, the coming generations may not experience. And, thanks to the rapid development of autonomous cars, even driving may soon become obsolete. Enjoy while you can, enthusiasts, for manual transmissions will one day become obsolete. Are you someone who enjoys three pedals? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review of the BMW M2 Competion

Read our expert review of the standard BMW M2

Read more BMW news.