The automotive world is at a crossroads—not just because of electrification or autonomy, but because of a deeper shift in how we think about cars. For some, the car is becoming a seamless appliance—quiet, efficient, and increasingly self-sufficient. For others, it’s still a machine to be experienced, mastered, and enjoyed.

Few brands illustrate this split more clearly than BMW. On one side, the company is investing billions into its Neue Klasse EV platform, aimed at buyers who want the latest in efficiency, digital tech, and hands-off driving aids. On the other, BMW continues to feed its most loyal audience—the ones who value connection over convenience—with cars built for mechanical engagement.

The proof is in the numbers. Nearly half of U.S. M2 buyers choose the manual transmission, an astonishing figure in a market where automatics dominate. The Z4’s recent U.S. sales surge has been driven almost entirely by the addition of a manual gearbox, proving that when BMW gives people the option to truly drive, they respond.

The Appliance Age

There’s no denying the appeal of cars designed to minimize effort. Silent electric drivetrains, smooth automatic gearboxes, and advanced driver-assistance systems make commuting easier and less stressful. For the majority of buyers, these cars “just work” in a way that older, more mechanical vehicles never could. BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse sedans and crossovers will lean heavily into this—offering quick acceleration, long range, and a digital-first cockpit experience.

For many customers, that’s exactly the point. They don’t want to think about driving any more than they want to think about how their dishwasher works. The car is there to provide reliable, efficient transportation, ideally with the ability to handle more of the task itself over time.

The Enthusiast Counterpoint

But there’s another BMW customer—one who wants every drive to matter. This is the buyer who understands the difference between hydraulic and electric steering feel, who finds joy in perfectly timed downshifts, and who chooses a car for the way it makes them feel rather than the way it syncs with their phone.

BMW has leaned into this group in key places. The M2’s manual take rate isn’t just a fun statistic—it’s a loud signal that engagement still sells. The Z4’s stick-shift revival has transformed it from a niche player to a sales bright spot in the U.S. And BMW’s M division still offers manuals across several models, even as most rivals have walked away from them entirely.

At the top of the market, this appetite for connection is mirrored in the industry at large. Gordon Murray’s T.50, Porsche’s 911 S/T, Pagani’s gated-manual hypercars, and Ferrari’s forthcoming F40-inspired tribute all speak to a desire for cars that demand something of the driver. They are the horological equivalent of a hand-built mechanical watch—objects of art and craft that ask you to participate in their function. Just as the quartz revolution in the 1970s gave the world watches that were cheaper, more accurate, and more convenient, the rise of automation and electrification has given us cars that are faster, quieter, and easier to live with. But in both worlds, the machines that endure—the ones that stir real passion—are the ones that wear their complexity and imperfection as a badge of honor. A manual gearbox, like a finely made movement, isn’t about necessity anymore; it’s about the tactile satisfaction of being part of the process. And in a time when technology can do almost everything for us, that human connection has never been more valuable.

Two Philosophies, Two Futures

BMW’s challenge—and opportunity—is to serve both worlds without alienating either. The Neue Klasse lineup will cater to the majority who want a frictionless, appliance-like experience, while M cars and special projects keep the flame alive for those who want more than just speed and silence.

The split is likely to grow sharper as regulations, technology costs, and market forces push most automakers toward automation and electrification. The risk is that the enthusiast’s corner of the market could become a boutique niche, with higher costs and lower availability. The reward for keeping it alive is brand loyalty that lasts decades, not just lease cycles.

The question is whether this dual path is sustainable. Building a manual transmission sports car isn’t cheap, especially when volumes are low. But what we’re seeing suggests that demand isn’t going away. In fact, the more the world moves toward automated, appliance-like vehicles, the more valuable the analog experience becomes.

Conclusion: What Kind of Future Do You Want?

The automotive world is diverging into two paths: one toward the appliance car, and one toward the driver’s car. BMW is one of the few brands straddling both, with the Neue Klasse promising efficiency and digital convenience, and the M division doubling down on involvement and mechanical purity.

For the majority, the future will be quiet, smooth, and largely automated. But for the rest—for the ones who still want to row their own gears, feel the road through their fingertips, and hear an engine sing—the manual M2, the stick-shift Z4, and the next generation of driver-focused BMWs are proof that the joy of driving isn’t dead. It’s just becoming more intentional. And in a world of appliances, that might be the ultimate luxury.