The next generation of the BMW M3 sports sedan/saloon should celebrate its official premiere sometime in mid-2020. Test mules have been spotted out in the open more than once, and rumors circulated that the mew M3 would ditch its manual trsnsmission. According to BMW M GmbH CEO Markus Flasch, this will not be the case.
Flasch said that, while modern automatic transmissions do a faster job switching gears than any professional racing driver, the manual shifting still lends the car a kind of personality. As such, both the new M3 and M4 will be getting it in the new generation.
He went on to compare stick shift lovers with people who appreciate mechanical wristwatches: it is not about advantages of one solution over the other, but rather a matter of personal preference.
The BMW M3 will also feature an all-wheel drive system, but its specific implementation remains unclear. It could be a new system, or it could be the rear-axle uncoupling system we have already seen on the M5. A Pure version with a stick shift and front-wheel drive is also possible, although not confirmed.
The way things stand right now, BMW is not planning on releasing an estate/wagon variant of the M3. If it did, though, it would be a nice alternative to the Audi RS4 Avant.