The BMW M2 Will Retain Its Manual Gearbox Through 2030

BMW is giving customers what they desire, even as electrification looms

The manual gearbox is the automotive cult classic, retaining a loyal and dedicated following despite not being as popular as in its heyday. It has largely fallen out of favor for a number of reasons, at least in America. Few are learning how to drive a manual car, and the rise of EVs is dooming traditional transmissions of every kind. However, BMW has always been a bastion for motorheads, and they want to keep it that way, which is why they have confirmed that the manual gearbox will stay in their M cars until at least 2030.

BMW M's continued use of manual transmissions showcases the sub-brand's commitment to customer desires. A "stick" is objectively less efficient than, say, a dual-clutch transmission, so if the Bavarians wanted to focus on outright speed, they would exclusively use that. Keeping the manual around also fits into BMW's brand identity as the "ultimate driving machine."

Related: The Real Reason Why Car Companies Are Retiring The Manual Transmission

BMW M CEO Frank Van Meel told Carbuzz, "The manual is, unfortunately, not so widespread anymore. It's more in the segments of the M2 and M3, and the M4. And for those cars, we continue offering the manual, and those cars will run for a long time until the end of this decade." BMW M executive Timo Resch said it is all down to customer demand, which makes sense, because if it won't make BMW money, they would not do it.

As far as we know, the new M2 is the last BMW M car to be purely powered by an ICE. Every M product to be released from now on will be powered by electricity in some way, whether it is something like a 48-volt mild hybrid system, a more substantial hybrid system, or a full-blown EV further down the road. So far, the only example of a fully electric offering is the XM. The issue this raises is that the M2 is BMW's small, fun sports car that arguably should always be offered with a stick, so how will a hybrid M2 work?

Related: 2023 BMW M2 With M Performance Parts Looks Even More Controversial

We see no sign that the M2 will get axed anytime soon, but the model may never be a hybrid. The physical footprint and price point for compact cars, which the M2 technically is, do not play well with the necessary underpinnings and nature of hybrid powertrains. Frank van Meel told Carbuzz creating a plug-in hybrid isn't feasible if the base engine isn't powerful enough to begin with, echoing his earlier comments the M brand will not use three- or four-cylinder powerplants. Meel's comments illustrate the next M2 will likely be fully electric.

Josh has always had a love affair with cars. This mostly started as a kid playing video games like Need for Speed Underground and going to the occasional car show with his father and grandfather in Columbus, Ohio. Once he got to college he realized he loved writing and decided to change his major from Business Management to Emerging Media focusing in Journalism. Josh graduated from Capital University in 2022 and has been with TopSpeed for over a years now, first as an intern, now as a freelance journalist. He currently daily drives a 1997 Mazda Miata and loves covering all possible areas of the automotive landscape, although he has a specialty in aftermarket or custom builds, as well as manufacture's plans on how to tackle an ever changing world.