BMW M will replace its manual and DCT gearboxes with automatics. A manual or semi-automatic M3?

The sporting division of BMW has recently revealed its interest in increasing the power of its cars, but this is not the only surprise the Germans had in store. The vice president of marketing and sales of BMW M, Peter Quintus, has stated that manual gearboxes and DCT (dual-clutch semi-automatic) may be numbered, at least for the sportiest vehicles from the Bavarian firm.

In an interview with the Australian car blog Drive, Quintus says that the low durability of manual and DCT gearboxes is a concern within the brand. According to the BMW M executive, neither of these transmissions can maintain long-term reliability in high-power models.

Mercedes discovered this same problem in its AMG models quite some time ago, and it wasted no time changing its strategy: BMW’s rivals use a torque converter automatic transmission in their most performance-oriented vehicles.

Although it is true that the DCT gearbox is capable of changing gears more instantly, the new generation of automatic transmissions has significantly narrowed this gap.

“Today we find automatic transmissions with nine and even 10 speeds; modern automatic gearboxes incorporate a lot of technology. The DCT has two advantages: it is light and its shift speeds are faster. But now, much of that shift time has disappeared as automatic gearboxes become better and smarter.”

Peter Quintus believes that manual gearboxes have a limit beyond which their long-term reliability cannot be guaranteed, and the executive set that limit at 450 CV of power and 600 Nm of torque. In this regard, Quintus confirmed what we have long been anticipating: “I’m not even sure the next generation of the M3 or M4 will offer a manual gearbox.”

Times change and technology evolves, but a manual-free M3? You be the judge…