2013 M3 Sedan, No 6MT option?

[panjyp]

Stopped by the BMW dealer this week and they said the new M3 Sedan, to be released late 2013, will only come with DCT. What's the likelihood of that? Are the 2011's the last to have a 6MT?

Jeff

[truths2k05]

I highly doubt that. The m3 is the m divisions bread and butter, and a lot of people choose manual. Having both, I regret the dct purchase. It takes forever to get going, and switching to reverse or drive takes forever. Not to mention the lack of smoothness pulling away in first and the occasional lag at the wrong time in traffic.

[DBH]

BMW will be dropping the option of manual transmission in the next generation M5 & M6. However, they've stated that they'll retain the 6MT option for the next generation M3/4.

[tibra1]

MT will remain for M3 not M5 or M6

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/m5/bmw...r-next-m5.html

I love that Biermann states "The M3 needs to have a stick shift. It will always have a stick shift,"

Now that is a real enthusiast

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by truths2k05

I highly doubt that. The m3 is the m divisions bread and butter, and a lot of people choose manual. Having both, I regret the dct purchase. It takes forever to get going, and switching to reverse or drive takes forever. Not to mention the lack of smoothness pulling away in first and the occasional lag at the wrong time in traffic.

Did you ever compare your 135 DCT with a DCT equipped M3 ?

Apparently the DCT in non-M models is programmed to behave more like a standard automatic rather than being programmed to be closer to a manual like in the M3.

[signes]

Originally Posted by panjyp

Stopped by the BMW dealer this week and they said the new M3 Sedan, to be released late 2013, will only come with DCT. What's the likelihood of that? Are the 2011's the last to have a 6MT?

Jeff

Stories of no manual have picked up steam recently but conflict with statements made by M Division earlier this year that there would be a 6MT offered like there is for the F10 M5. Minor point, it will be a 2014 not a 2013.

[Snig]

More like released in early 2014...

[Detroit M3]

i hate bmw's m divisions new direction. Motorsport?

[ramuman]

I don't see the 6MT lasting through the full life of the F8x. They dropped the third pedal in the M5/6 without much remorse.

[GOLFFRR]

like others have stated there will be a MT option at launch. How long that will last I am not sure but I would think and hope through the cycle of the series. If not that would most def be a bummer seeing that I personally am a rower of the gears.

Also release date is shooting for sometime in 2014

[6spdg37s]

Originally Posted by ramuman

I don't see the 6MT lasting through the full life of the F8x. They dropped the third pedal in the M5/6 without much remorse.

I thought you could order the current m5 in traditional manual still ?

[silverspoon]

Originally Posted by 6spdg37s

I thought you could order the current m5 in traditional manual still ?

You can...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=JrdR_0fBx0s#!

[6spdg37s]

Originally Posted by silverspoon

You can...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=JrdR_0fBx0s#!

excellent... sucks they dumped it for the 13 650s though

[W///]

Originally Posted by ramuman

I don't see the 6MT lasting through the full life of the F8x. They dropped the third pedal in the M5/6 without much remorse.

M3/M4 is a completely different segment than M5/M6. Plus why wouldn't it last through the entire cycle? It's not like they'll drop MT during FL.

[NoM3ForMe]

Originally Posted by tibra1

MT will remain for M3 not M5 or M6

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/m5/bmw...r-next-m5.html

I love that Biermann states "The M3 needs to have a stick shift. It will always have a stick shift,"

Now that is a real enthusiast

I love that quote.

[Jason]

Scroll through the F80 M3 spy photos compilation and you'll see manual transmission in one of the earlier sightings. That should give you an answer

Spy photos @ http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=602770

[SCOTT26]

A manual transmission will still be offered for the upcoming M3/M4.
The M-DCT which will come from the M5 will be reconfigured to suit the more sporting M3 so expect quicker shifts.

The next generation of the M5/M6 especially when they resort to the same genetic mix of CFRP and aluminium for the next 7er which will filter down the ranges and the of course next 5er and 6er which will be entirely beneficial for the M models will not be offered with manual transmission.

The M3/M4 sister car X4M will not be offered with a manual transmission as they do not sell in SAV's. Neither will the next generation X5M and X6M.

[BlackLight]

Originally Posted by tibra1

MT will remain for M3 not M5 or M6

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/m5/bmw...r-next-m5.html

I love that Biermann states "The M3 needs to have a stick shift. It will always have a stick shift,"

Now that is a real enthusiast

Is this from the same company that said the M's will always be NA?

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by tibra1

MT will remain for M3 not M5 or M6

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/m5/bmw...r-next-m5.html

I love that Biermann states "The M3 needs to have a stick shift. It will always have a stick shift,"

Now that is a real enthusiast

Your forgetting how annoyed he got about having to make a MT for this M5. That isn't an enthusiast. Thats a salesman.

[Sam@ModeCarbon]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

Your forgetting how annoyed he got about having to make a MT for this M5. That isn't an enthusiast. Thats a salesman.

+1

[DrivenByE30]

Originally Posted by panjyp

Stopped by the BMW dealer this week and they said the new M3 Sedan, to be released late 2013, will only come with DCT. What's the likelihood of that? Are the 2011's the last to have a 6MT?

Jeff

your dealership .... Irvine BMW ? or Crevier

like most dealership... dont know $#&!


the Next M3 will have Manual transmission.

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

Your forgetting how annoyed he got about having to make a MT for this M5. That isn't an enthusiast. Thats a salesman.

No he is an enthusiast and one of the originals from the E30 M3. He is not just a salesman.

I'm not trying to speak for him but I believe his point with the M5 ( I was in the room), is that the manual doesn't sell outside the US in such a high end luxury performance car. Other exotics have gone away from manuals so why does the largest, heaviest, most luxurious M model "need" a manual? It is counter intuitive. Maybe the US will devote resources to keeping the M5/M6 manual alive in the future but to M it is a money losing proposition as resources could be used elsewhere and no other market wants it or even will take it when offered.

The other thing to consider is that outside the US- DCTs are the enthusiasts choice and are the more desirable option for day to day. The US market is not the main target of BMW or M any longer (as it shouldn't be). The current M5 is what an M7 would have been in the day.

The M3 is now what the M5 was in the E39, and the 1M is where the M3 was. Everything sub M5 will be offered in a manual outside the SAVs- makes the cars cheaper and more fun for the US market.

I'm not saying a manual doesn't belong in the M5- I recently reviewed it and thought it made the car better for the US and low speed limits and that many don't track their cars. There is nothing better than nailing a perfect heel toe and an apex of a corner on a back canyon road- it adds to the connection but that is about it.