BMW M boss Frank van Meel just gave the clearest answer yet on the manual transmission's future—and there's good news. Speaking to BMW Blog, van Meel said: "No, it is not off the table." That said, the executive won't make any promises either.
The culprit is 48-volt mild-hybrid technology creeping into the lineup, stacked on top of rising engine torque and a supplier base that keeps shrinking. For anyone who still rows their own gears in an M2, the timeline changes more than the headline.