BMW Looks To All-Automatic Future, Caps On Power Outputs

BMW buyers who like to ‘row their own’ gears may be forced to look to other carmakers in the future, as the German company reportedly thinks the days of the manual transmission in its products are numbered.

While the manual-equipped 1 Series, 2 Series and 3 Series might be safe for a short while, BMW M performance models could be heading towards an all-automatic future.

Speaking with the UK’s Autocar, BMW M boss Frank van Meel said the manual transmission might not be long for this world.

The issue forcing the rethink in BMW is the pursuit of ever-improving acceleration times (to satisfy enthusiasts) while improving fuel consumption in their M models.

“From a technical standpoint, the future doesn’t look bright for manual gearboxes,” Mr van Meel said.

“The DCT and auto ’boxes are faster and they have better fuel consumption.”

Mr van Meel said both dual-clutch and ‘conventional’ automatics could be available in future BMW products, and that the “competition” between the two transmissions was healthy for development.