[BEM-S4]

The end is nigh, to fund electric cars no less...

http://www.thedrive.com/news/11934/b...lectric-car-rd

[amw896]

Very lame. Happy mine is standard but this bad news altogether. It would be one thing if they were subsidizing the development of better dcts but to subsidize electrics, ughhhhhhhhh.

[BEM-S4]

M5 comes in AWD, no manuals on the best "drivers car" BMW has produced in years in the 2-series... things are changing a lot faster than we thought it seems.

[Raptor01]

Got my manual, RWD M240i just in time it seems...

Sucks for the future though.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Raptor01

Got my manual, RWD M240i just in time it seems...

Sucks for the future though.

Not that I am predicting meteoric rise (yet) but given the lower production volume of 2-series in general and stick shift in particular, I could see the M2 and 240 (to a lesser extent perhaps) being collectors items akin the last of the air cooled 911s for similar kind of reasons. So the best and last true drivers car from BMW with a manual transmission.

[Viffermike]

That article -- the ambiguous nature of the writing and the BMW AG CFO's statement -- begs this question:

Does "2 Series" include the M2 or not?

Some within BMW would say yes, yet others would say no. Since the M2's powertrain is different (and rumors suggest that the LCI version may get a full-on Sxx motor), I would bet that the answer in this context would be "no". If so, all is not lost. Yet.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

That article -- the ambiguous nature of the writing and the BMW AG CFO's statement -- begs this question:

Does "2 Series" include the M2 or not?

Some within BMW would say yes, yet others would say no. Since the M2's powertrain is different (and rumors suggest that the LCI version may get a full-on Sxx motor), I would bet that the answer in this context would be "no". If so, all is not lost. Yet.

I think we are all hoping the same thing. Time will tell. To that point, is the transmission the same in 235/M2? Or is it shared with M3? I honestly have no idea. I would imagine it would become an issue when the M2 gets the new motor / trans and is safe for now. I don't think the 240 will stop selling the manual next year either, would assume they are talking about the replacement that comes in what 2019?

[Kidu]

I would think this applies only to the regular 2-series and not the M2. I would think the M2 and the M3/M4 would be the last stick shifts to go.
That said, I am glad I got my manual 235. what a shame.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

The end is nigh, to fund electric cars no less...

Next is pilot-less airliners.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Kidu

I would think this applies only to the regular 2-series and not the M2. I would think the M2 and the M3/M4 would be the last stick shifts to go.
That said, I am glad I got my manual 235. what a shame.

I could very easily see them rationalizing all of this down to a single engine for the 30s, one for the 40s, then one for the Ms. Same for the gearboxes - perhaps holding onto a manual option for the Ms for one more generation only. Since they don't all roll out at the same time though I think the 2-series may "cheat the system" a bit. It lags the others right? So the new M5 is out next, 3/4 will be after that, then 2?

[Fugly M3]

I would understand this to mean when the redesigned 2 arrives. the 230i and M240i will probably remain available with sticks throughout their life...BMW probably has a bunch of these gearboxes sitting around (or on order) waiting to be installed...might as well clear that stock.

[fullstack]

According to the configurator at bmw.de, there is no manual transmission for the 2018 m240i. The only 2 with a manual option is the 218i.

[Maynard]

Those who care would do well to send a few emails to corporate office; wouldn't hurt to be saying how much extra you would pay as an option, or how it kept you in the BMW family instead of over at those other germanautos. I bet that it doesn't cost THAT much to retain legacy hardware, if they can see a profit in there somewhere (OK, everything BMW costs a ton of money, but they need to hear there is a market, not just a bunch of fans). I really doubt they will kill the MT M cars, out of corporate pride and branding. I recently read the article on the track-ready Aston Martin where they are saying basically that 'Aston won't be the company to kill off the MT'; I expect BMW will have some of that going on too. But then again, I'm a bit jaded by this, as I can remember when we were crapping ourselves that Porsche was really going to kill off the 911, with all the factory-backed propaganda behind it.

[pz619]

My next car is likely a m2 with a manual. If it's not available, well I guess Porsche makes a pretty good Cayman with a manual.

[pz619]

On an another note I'm driving the i3 all week. I do agree, the electric program needs funding. It's not a particuarly great car outside of the actual carbon fiber construction.

[Raptor01]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Not that I am predicting meteoric rise (yet) but given the lower production volume of 2-series in general and stick shift in particular, I could see the M2 and 240 (to a lesser extent perhaps) being collectors items akin the last of the air cooled 911s for similar kind of reasons. So the best and last true drivers car from BMW with a manual transmission.

I think you may be right... before getting my 240 I shopped around quite a bit for a used, low-mileage MT/RWD M235; those few I found were quite expensive, some close to MSRP.

[p912guy]

This is sad news, but makes me even happier I have a butter-smooth shifting 6 speed manual transmission in my M235i Convertible - a bit of a unicorn of a vehicle for sure. This really isn't a huge surprise. BMW, like other brands/manufacturers has expanded their product lines and offerings to the point there are too many model variations, engine choices and options/package permutations. It's great for consumers, but tough on manufacturers, especially as they work to produce vehicles and also make a profit for their shareholders. To a certain extent, small volume manufacturer's like Porsche can get away with it, but large volume manufacturers will struggle to provide all those choices cost effectively. I'd look for more consolidation of choices going forward. Not that I have any factual basis to say this, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the 2 Series drop the 6 cylinder option in the not to distant future, just as Porsche has moved the Boxster/Cayman from 6 cylinder to 4 cylinder vehicles only.
Based on what I see at most BMW dealerships and on the roads, the take rate now on the 228/230 vs the 235/240 is in the neighborhood of 7 to 1, maybe even higher. The same may even be true for the 3, 4 and 5 Series cars.

[WolfGTI]

Yup so if the M2 is unaffected it has a shot at being my next car otherwise it'll be used Porsche time.

[lufsig]

My nightmare become true. I also noticed that on bmw.de configurator there is no manual option for both 230 and M240 models, only available with the 218. But the 2018 order guide posted earlier here (http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1380813) does indicate it's still available for US. Have anyone contacted with dealer to confirm?

[lufsig]

According to this Jalopnik article, sounds like at least for the next model year we are fine: http://jalopnik.com/the-manual-in-th...xed-1796491694

Before letting this statement ruin your day, it’s worth noting that the wording “drop manual gearshift variants of the BMW 2 Series” does leave a bit of room for interpretation, as it doesn’t necessarily mean all manual 2 Series variants. Will the company just cut the manual from 230i Coupes and keep it on the M2 and M240i?

I reached out to BMW USA’s media team for clarification. They told me they hadn’t seen Reuters’ article, and that they’d try to find me more context behind Peters’ statement. Here’s the response in full:

"I had not seen the article until now and I will try to get some context to Mr. Peter’s statements from Munich overnight. In the meantime I can assure you that the manual transmission has not been dropped from the 2 Series for the US market.

We have recently announced the updated 2 Series models for the USA and the manual transmission is still available and a popular option with our core enthusiast customers. However, I cannot speculate on the availability of a manual transmission on future generations of the 2 Series."

[doccyber]

All my cars were stick shift until I drove the M235 and got it in auto. I have no regrets. The auto tranny shifts smoothly and flawlessly. To each his/her own.

[SkysTheLimit]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

I think we are all hoping the same thing. Time will tell. To that point, is the transmission the same in 235/M2? Or is it shared with M3? I honestly have no idea. I would imagine it would become an issue when the M2 gets the new motor / trans and is safe for now. I don't think the 240 will stop selling the manual next year either, would assume they are talking about the replacement that comes in what 2019?

Manual trans in M2 is shared with M3/4.

Not the same as 235/240i.