It’s a double-blow for enthusiasts as BMW M also confirms the end of the road for the dual-clutch transmission as well as the manual gearbox.

It was always going to happen, wasn’t it? In an interview with TopGear, Head of Development at BMW M, Dirk Hacker confirmed that the last manually-equipped BMW M product will be the current-generation M2. Yes, they are engaging and offer that pure driving experience, but in the era of really great automatics? That’s a tough sell, especially for those who daily high-performance machinery and crave the convenience and ease of use.

So, how long have we technically got to enjoy a three-pedal modern BMW M car? The current-generation M2 has just gone on sale and there’s likely to be a Competition derivative in the next few years, an LCI/facelift and then a hardcore, limited-run CS version by 2030.

BMW M2 Latest specs, prices and features

Your last chance to own a manual BMW M car is right here

For fans of the dual-clutch transmission in BMW M cars, there’s no plans for that either. TopGear asked BMW about the switch from the quick-shifting DCT units to an 8-speed conventional automatic. Hacker replied, “Around theM5there was a big discussion, not only for the automatic transmission, but also for other things. And the decision was not only because of cost, but also because of comfort [to go with automatic], because we got a lot of reactions about manoeuvring, parking, no rolling if you leave the pedal and so on,” he said.

Essentially, this means the automatic transmission is better than the DCT in daily-driven scenarios, which is likely where the overwhelming majority of these cars will be used.

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