[///MPhatic]

However, during a recent interview with Italian publication Quattroruote, Frank Weber said “it’s over” for the brand’s manual models, noting that the sales figures for them don’t justify the development costs.

This is a complete lie. BMW doesn't even make their own manual transmission, and the ZF that they use has been largely unchanged for many years. The tech for clutches and the associated bits is the same way, and the DME programming is a joke.

Weber did not specify an exact date for when BMW will axe all of its manual options but it could be soon with him adding, “If you want a manual M, you need to buy it now.”

Pure fear mongering hype.

“They are fun products, but let’s be honest, the volumes are getting smaller and smaller, and so it doesn’t make sense to develop them anymore,” he said.

I suppose he's forgetting that it's "fun" that makes a car special, and in an age where everyone is going to be commuting in self-driving toasters a manual M-Car makes even more sense.

If BMW kills the manual, they'll bring it back just as fast. Like halo cars, it's not about the cost or the sales, it's about brand image, and I don't think BMW wants to be your average toaster like everyone else.