BMW currently offers the M5 with a manual transmission and the M6 will soon sprout a third pedal, but that will mark the end of manual transmissions in both cars. The take rate for manual gearboxes has dipped below profitable levels, meaning the next M5 and M6 will only be available with dual-clutch transmissions.
The United States is the only market that gets manual versions of either car.
Biermann points to the high cost of development for the extinction of the manual transmission in the M5 and M6. Although cheaper to build than a dual-clutch unit, manual transmissions require extra engineering work, making them more costly to produce than their automatic counterparts.
"Theoretically the stick is cheaper, but it's very low volumes and we have to strengthen everything in the gearbox and find space for the shifter and another pedal, so it doesn't work out cheaper," Biermann said.
Although manual versions of the M5 and M6 are riding off into the sunset, Biermann says BMW will continue to produce manual versions of the M3. "The M3 needs to have a stick shift. It will always have a stick shift," he said.
Photos by Mark Elias.
