Photo: BMW
We've gone through this in the past when the M5 came out. For some reason, people are reluctant to let go of the past and give up on manual gearboxes in their BMW M cars, even though manual gearbox technology has peaked.
We're of the firm conviction that the gearbox is there only to help you drive the car better, and a good automatic does that better than a manual. Rowing your own gears with the help of your left foot might sound exciting, but you're not going to have as much fun as you think, not when you have Sport mode and nicely chromed paddles behind the wheels, like you get on DCT-equipped BMWs.
BMW reluctantly agreed to put a manual in the M5 when it brought it to the US. The sales have shown they were wrong to do so and they're not going to do this again. The M4 coupe, just dangled in front of us in concept form, will mot have a clutch pedal.
The M4 is going to be a technological showcase of what BMW can do under the body of a compact car. It will have complicated electronics for the engine, the drivetrain, the suspension and so to keep you in check as well. Controlling all that with a stick is like flying the Space Shuttle with a wooden stick.
Citing information gathered from insiders, probably at Pebble Beach, Autoblog says the new M4 will not have a conventional stick, with DCT being the obvious answer. They also say that the car will make its production car debut in Detroit next January, but that's not so hard to figure out because BMW usually makes this concept-to-production transition in half a year.
Update: Our colleague at BMW Power Blog says this report isn't true, citing not only leaked VIN info but also a video which seems to indicate the left foot is being used to drive the car. Check out his take on this story.
BMW reluctantly agreed to put a manual in the M5 when it brought it to the US. The sales have shown they were wrong to do so and they're not going to do this again. The M4 coupe, just dangled in front of us in concept form, will mot have a clutch pedal.
The M4 is going to be a technological showcase of what BMW can do under the body of a compact car. It will have complicated electronics for the engine, the drivetrain, the suspension and so to keep you in check as well. Controlling all that with a stick is like flying the Space Shuttle with a wooden stick.
Citing information gathered from insiders, probably at Pebble Beach, Autoblog says the new M4 will not have a conventional stick, with DCT being the obvious answer. They also say that the car will make its production car debut in Detroit next January, but that's not so hard to figure out because BMW usually makes this concept-to-production transition in half a year.
Update: Our colleague at BMW Power Blog says this report isn't true, citing not only leaked VIN info but also a video which seems to indicate the left foot is being used to drive the car. Check out his take on this story.
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