The M division of BMW no longer considers semi-auto (dual-clutch) transmission designs appropriate for its cars, and says that days are numbered for the stick shift as well.
The corresponding statement originates from BMW Engineering Director, Dirk Hacker. Speaking with Top Gear, he explained that the idea was to make the cars comfortable to drive while keeping production costs down.
The DCT designs implemented in BMW M cars have often been criticized for being inconvenient in everyday use. Furthermore, per Hacker, the latest eight-speed automatic transmission surpasses all older designs in terms of comfort, functionality and shifting speeds all at once. As such, there is simply no reason for the sports division to put DCT boxes into cars anymore.
The stick shift may still have some life left in it, Hacker admits, estimating that life at ‘seven years, give or take.’ However, it will eventually have to retire, too, partly due to the manufacturer’s electrification plans and partly due to the international market trends. As more and more carmakers abandon the manual transmission, fewer and fewer vendors are left on the market who still stock up on the relevant components.
Unlike Toyota, BMW has no plans for an imitated, or ‘fake’, manual transmission to be used in EVs. On the other hand, the company does see a need for a new automatic transmission that may come in handy in future hybrid sports car designs.