Row Your Own Gears in a Classic German Sports Car

Ben Hardy Reviews Last BMW M Car with Manual Trans.

Manual transmissions are becoming an extinct breed, with even BMW indicating retirement of the manual gearboxes in their sport vehicles. A recent Top Gear talk with Dirk Hacker, the leader of development at BMW M, communicated that the existing M2 will be the swan song, preceding a transformation to solely producing automation transmissions.

Keeping that in consideration, Ben Hardy, a YouTuber, examined a fresh BMW M2 from 2024 with a manual transmission and let us know his opinion about it – this being the most recent model of M where you are able to shift through gears personally.

2024 BMW M2 (Manual): The Best M Car?

Lurking beneath the bonnet of the BMW M2 in 2024 is a force-fed 3.0 litre in-line six cylinder engine, transferring all its hefty power to a six gear manual gearbox. This in-line combination is no slouch, imparting 453 bhp and 406 lb-ft of torque for a substantial performance shift, according to Hardy.

The 2024 M2 features a grille-forward aesthetic, with an audaciously wide upfront and striking exterior hinting at its powerful M Performance capabilities. The fenders are notably broad, and there are a few carbon fiber touches enhancing the profile along the car’s sides.

BMW M is on the brink of discontinuing both its twosome-cogged automatic and manual transmission shortly after each other. The version of the M2 that Hardy examines will be the last car ever to have a handbook gearbox, though we are expecting an M2 Competition as well as an M2 CS just before we bid our farewells.

Top Gear recently posed the question to BMW on whether they would think about electrifying manual transmissions. The German automaker verified that this may be achievable, but not currently a priority for them. With supplier’s production of manuals continuing to decline, this has had an effect on BMW’s decision to reduce their incorporate of stick shifters in M-series cars.

As Ben tried out the automotive, he commented the M2 was truly a joy to drive with its manual gearbox. Nevertheless, he also observed that the shift associated with the transmission was not quite as enjoyable as some of the others on the market. In addition, he found that the S58 engine provided remarkable horsepower and torque. Finally, he commented that the new M2 had an added luxuriant quality than other models from prior generations.

It is increasingly becoming commonplace for German performance car makers to wave farewell to the standard manual transmission. Volkswagen has taken a cue from this trend, with their illustrious Golf GTI set to dispense of its manual gearbox. To mark such an event, VW ushered in the limited edition Golf GTI 380 model – one that can only be accessed in America. This will be the last Golf GTI model to ever feature the six-speed stick shift; all upcoming variants of this revered automobile will make use of the 7-speed DSG dual clutch instead.

Ben Hardy, the YouTube channel, recently did a comparison between BMW and Volkswagen vehicles. He found that both carmakers produce excellent cars that stand out from the competition. He gave concrete examples from the BMW series as well as many of the Volkswagen range.In his evaluation, Ben Hardy observed that BMW provides its clients with superior craftsmanship and impressive performance standards, while the Volkswagen automobiles never fail to deliver remarkable quality in their builds. He said that, ultimately, it boils down to personal preference and both BMW and Volkswagen are excellent choices when picking a vehicle.