BMW M Confirms Major Product Expansion and Signals End for Manual Gearbox

Daily Car

·

20/02/2026

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BMW's M division has announced a significant product expansion, with plans to release approximately 30 new or updated models by 2029. This wave of vehicles will include high-performance electric cars, but it also comes with a warning for traditionalists: the manual transmission's days are numbered.

A Broad Model Offensive

The plan covers both full-fledged M cars and M Performance variants. This means a wide range of vehicles, from top-tier performance machines to models with sporty enhancements, will be introduced. The expansion includes all-new vehicles like a future M3, as well as updated versions of existing models such as the M5 sedan and wagon. M Performance models serve as a bridge, offering more power and aggressive styling than standard BMWs but positioned below the hardcore M models.

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Balancing Electric Power and Combustion Engines

A key part of the strategy is the growth of electric M cars. An upcoming i3 M is confirmed to feature a quad-motor powertrain, meaning an electric motor for each wheel, providing advanced traction and power delivery. This move is driven partly by market regulations. For example, in countries like France, heavy carbon taxes on gasoline engines make high-performance electric vehicles a more financially viable option for buyers. Despite this electric focus, BMW M has stated it will continue producing its popular six- and eight-cylinder gasoline engines to serve its global fanbase.

The End of an Era for the Manual Gearbox

While gasoline engines will remain, the manual transmission faces a difficult future. From an engineering perspective, modern automatic transmissions are often faster and more fuel-efficient. They can also better handle the immense torque produced by new high-performance engines. More importantly, the demand for manual cars has shrunk globally. This makes it difficult for suppliers to justify the cost of developing new manual gearboxes for a small market segment. While BMW M intends to offer them for as long as possible, they are expected to become scarce in the coming years and likely disappear within the next decade.

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