[SCOTT26]

I do not see the manual transmission dying out entirely as the lower end of BMW's portfolio ie the main profit makers of the 1er , X1, 3er,X3 and entry 5er models still retaining manuals. Especially entry level diesels.

Manuals are of course a key feature of BMW's EfficientDynamics strategy so manuals contribute to BMW's overall sustainability.
A seven-speed manual is in development for the upcoming Premium BMW City hatch which is all about a technological advantage in increasing efficiency.
For the upper level cars the manual will be replaced by either DCT or advanced automatic transmissions.

Whereas the M models or entry models such as M2 and M3/M4 retain manual transmissions, it is inevitable larger models such as the M5 and M6 will no longer. Even if there was an M7 there would be no manual just as the X5M and X6M justify why they have automatic transmissions.


And what is it all down to? It is progress and the conditions of the market.
If you take the demographic of enthusiasts against status customers - enthusiasts are the minority it no longer adds up to develop a manual for a minority of customers, it is purely a business decision. The cost of development no longer justifies the return. Or another factor within progress lies Especially when advances in technology within DCT or automatic are becoming more advantageous.