[SBRSCOTA]

Manual
Automatic

I tried to make this a poll..Can an admin help or please delete

[JMcLellan]

My incoming G87 will be the 6 speed manual. I grew up driving manuals and it's been about 15 years since I've owned one. I test drove a G87 with the 6 speed and it reinforced my decision. I do also think though that the 8 speed auto version will be very fun as well as I'm coming from an F series M240i that had the ZF8 transmission and that car flew through the gears.

[Albator_IIII]

If the 6MT was not available on this car, I wouldn't have bothered getting one. I am not knocking on anyone picking the 8AT and I am happy they get the choice. However, this is a summer toy car for me and the 6MT was a must. The engagement required to drive 6MT is a motivator for me.

[Carefree]

Automatic
Matrimonial harmony

[middyM]

MT 100%. If auto was the only option, I’d just buy a fast EV.

[Sculpin]

I ordered a manual. I have been driving manuals for over 25 years and for me it never gets old. Even in traffic I never think to myself, "I wish I had an automatic." I have nothing against the auto and I'm glad BMW offers both so everyone has access to the car. I just personally prefer manual.

I've been driving my wife's Audi for the past three months since I sold my M3. Sometimes I get in the car to start it and my left foot reaches for a clutch pedal that isn't there. My poor left leg is so bored.

[JABCAT]

This is my daily driver. The BMW auto in the Ms is fantastic. I have a supercharged Z06 manual for when I want to row the gears.

[fangelov]

Manual. The only reason to buy the M2 for me.

[NewToM]

Like others have said, if this wasn’t available in a manual I would have picked a different car.

[JG13]

Manual is so much fun, I'm so happy I got it.

[RockCrusher]

Happened to find a car not spoken for and bought it off the dealer showroom floor. (Well, I sort of bought it while it was at the port awaiting transport to the dealer.)

Car came with a 6-speed manual. But I would have taken the car if it had come with an automatic.

While I've driven probably 1M miles and almost all of them with a manual gearbox in the car I'm not a must have a manual or nothing person.

I recall my first automatic car in a long long time -- my 2018 Hellcat -- the automatic shifted very very quick and while I never tested it I believe it would have allowed for a very quick launch from dead stop.

And more recently my experience with my 2022 BMW 230i with an 8-speed automatic that was a great car and a great transmission. I feel it helped the car punch above its weight -- so to speak -- with the automatic and its fast shifting.

Just Dec. 1 traded in my 2023 JCW with a 6-speed for a 2024 BMW 230i xDrive with of course an 8-speed automatic. This will be (like the JCW before it) my daily driver, my errand car, my bad weather car. Have not put but around 100 miles on the new car but the automatic is superb.

I have no plans to give up the M2 and its 6-speed. But if something happens and I needed to have an automatic I'd have no qualms about trading it for an M2 with an automatic.

[OUGrad05]

MT is where my heart is, but as I evaluate track/weekend options an auto makes a lot of sense for driving hard on the track.
I guess you can't go wrong with either.

[if1960]

MT is so much more engaging. Quicker, Simpler, Smarter.. Probably not, but drive enjoyment factor is off the charts.

[Snarky]

At this point, MT is the only way I know how to drive. 😂

[Geighty7]

6MT because fast and furious.

[TheDrivenGarage]

It comes down to what you want from the car. If this is your only car, you live in a city, and most of your driving is in deep traffic 90% of the time, then maybe you get the auto. But outside of that, I think it's manual all day. Driving a manual brings up the engagement with the car a ton.

I have a M4 comp as well with the auto, it's of course faster. But driving the manual M2 is just more fun. The auto IS not a dual clutch. It's not a snappy paddle shifting beast. There is a delay with the paddles and it takes you out of the experience. I thought I would like it a lot more in my M4, as I used to love DCT vehicles. It's an automatic not a F1 gear box. I feel like people who rave about the auto haven't driven an awesome dual clutch transmission. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Get the manual unless you have to live with a shorter but heavy traffic commute every day.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by TheDrivenGarage

It comes down to what you want from the car. If this is your only car, you live in a city, and most of your driving is in deep traffic 90% of the time, then maybe you get the auto. But outside of that, I think it's manual all day. Driving a manual brings up the engagement with the car a ton.

I have a M4 comp as well with the auto, it's of course faster. But driving the manual M2 is just more fun. The auto IS not a dual clutch. It's not a snappy paddle shifting beast. There is a delay with the paddles and it takes you out of the experience. I thought I would like it a lot more in my M4, as I used to love DCT vehicles. It's an automatic not a F1 gear box. I feel like people who rave about the auto haven't driven an awesome dual clutch transmission. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Get the manual unless you have to live with a shorter but heavy traffic commute every day.

My MINI S had a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. That was one awesome automatic.

[k-m2-j442]

This is going to be my fun/summer/nice weather car. If I wanted an auto I would have kept my Supra. The ZF8 is great, especially for a torque converted auto but I wanted a manual and an MT supra was nearly the same price (after ADM) as the M2, so here we are. I do not care if its slower, has worse mpg, or its not the best manual ever made, its what I wanted because I like the driver engagement and the feel. It makes me feel more in tune with the car when I'm driving it, rather than riding in it...if that makes sense.

[Chris13002]

I find it funny that the most of my friends who prefer an automatic transmission simply do not know how to drive a manual. They usually brag how auto is faster and how it can handle more torque etc. It's almost impossible to explain the driver engagement feeling to someone that doesn't know how to drive a manual.

As a reminder (probably in the hundreds if not thousands now), this is probably the last manual M car that you can buy. Like others said, I narrowed down my search to cars that you can only buy in manuals, and this G87 checked off all my boxes, and more.

[DriveWithDray]

I chose manual and im happy with the decision, but I'm also the first to admit that the manual gearbox isn't great and the clutch is so light, it feels like Im driving a civic LOL.

But still, its more fun and engaging and not terrible!

Very grateful to still have a few manual performance cars left. but they should grab a few 718 GT4s for reference next time around!

[apez]

Originally Posted by Chris13002

I find it funny that the most of my friends who prefer an automatic transmission simply do not know how to drive a manual. They usually brag how auto is faster and how it can handle more torque etc. It's almost impossible to explain the driver engagement feeling to someone that doesn't know how to drive a manual.

As a reminder (probably in the hundreds if not thousands now), this is probably the last manual M car that you can buy. Like others said, I narrowed down my search to cars that you can only buy in manuals, and this G87 checked off all my boxes, and more.

While I agree that SOME auto drivers don't know how to drive manual, I think this take is a gross over statement.

There are definitely cases for the ZF8. People who drive in heavy traffic. People looking best straight line performance. People looking for the best track performance. People with bad knees. Etc.

For me the engagement and experience trumps those things, but not for everyone.

[Chris13002]

Originally Posted by apez

While I agree that SOME auto drivers don't know how to drive manual, I think this take is a gross over statement.

There are definitely cases for the ZF8. People who drive in heavy traffic. People looking best straight line performance. People looking for the best track performance. People with bad knees. Etc.

For me the engagement and experience trumps those things, but not for everyone.

Oh I agree with you. I wasn't generalizing everyone, which is why I said my friends. I'm just happy BMW still gives us the choice of a manual and automatic.