BB: The upcoming BMW M3 and M4 are some of the most highly anticipated M cars in a very long time. Will there be any surprises for BMW fans?
MF: No, it’s a bit early to disclose all the details
but something I want to highlight is that we will have a manual stick shift. We have already disclosed we will have the option of four-wheel drive. We’ve not decided which variant, which system, but everything that’s on our current lineup; think of the M5; can be made available. The M3 and M4, I’ve driven the pre-production cars already and they’re fantastic.
BB: You’ve already sort of answered this by saying the manual will still be available in the M3 but will it be available in other M cars moving forward?
MF: Manual is very important. The manual stick shift is not a performance-bringer, because an automatic transmission is just faster, you can ask any race driver. But it gives the vehicle character and I kind of compare it to people who love mechanical watches; it isn’t more precise and it doesn’t have any advantage at all but it’s a character feature. So is a stick shift.
From
https://www.bmwblog.com/2019/07/23/i...-transmission/