Report: No more manual transmission option for next BMW M5, M6

True automotive enthusiasts stood up in applause when BMW announced earlier this year that it will be offering a 6-speed manual in the new M5 sedan – only problem is that no one really purchased it and that is leading BMW to drop manual transmissions in the next-generation M5 and M6.

[slider id=97339]

Check out the Top 10 things you need to know about the 2013 BMW M5.

According to the head of engineering at M, Albert Biermann, there are no plans to offer a manual transmission in the next-generation BMW M5 or M6 because the take rate is very low to justify the additional work.

Check out more news on the BMW M5.

“Last year, maybe 15-20 percent of our M5s in the U.S. were manuals and maybe this year it will be 15 percent. It’s declining,” Biermann told Inside Line. “The trouble is that nobody wants it in Europe or anywhere else, so this will be the last time we do it, even for the hard-core U.S. buyers.”

He said that while the manual is a no-cost option it is very difficult for M to produce.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Inside Line