Manual 2021 BMW M3 Accelerating Down the Autobahn Is a Rare Sight

Even 300-horsepower hot hatchbacks and sports cars mostly come with autos. So BMW's decision to offer a stick in the all-new M3 is unusual. When they cancel the manual, most automakers claim customers aren't interested. But here we have an enthusiast getting the most out of those six speeds.

YouTuber Automann-TV, known for his straightforward eye-catching car content, recently took this M3 down what we presume to be the Autobahn. Using a clutch pedal in a 473-horsepower sports sedan while traveling at such high speed is a bit unusual but cool.

So is the visual combo we see here. The outside of the car is painted copper color, making the sharp lines of this 2021 car stand out. The interior is perhaps the boldest out of any BMW right now, featuring bright orange trim, the carbon bucket seats, and plenty of other carbon trim. But right in the middle of this car is a gear shifter that looks unchanged from the E46 era.

If this color combination seems a tad familiar, you're not mistaken. The options of BMW Individual Zanzibar Metallic with the Kyalami Orange interior option belong to the 1-of-1 car ordered by AutoTopNL. The car certainly stands out.

Outside of a Porsche, this is one of the fastest new cars with a manual that you can buy. In theory, getting the 8-speed automatic will make the M3 even quicker, but with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo under the hood, performance shouldn't be a problem. And when's the last time you saw somebody reach for 6th gear in a new car while passing trucks at 165 mph (265 km/h)?

BMW's commitment to the manual is only in the case of the basic M3 and M4 models. The ones that have the Competition pack with more power are automatically fitted with the 8-speed ZF auto. In Britain, they only offer the 503-horsepower version, so no manual.