From the it’s-obvious-but-I-don’t-want-to-believe-it department, alarming news from January’s Roundel Magazine:

Believe me when I say that I’m the biggest manual-transmission proponent within the company—but sadly, the sales figures are making it increasingly difficult to argue the case for manuals.

This comes from Tom Plucinsky, a “PR professional employed by BMW”. It’s not the first time we’ve heard distressing news on this front.

He continues:

The bottom line is this: There is really only one way to ensure the continued availability of manual transmissions in BMW models, and that’s by proving that there is demand for them.

[…]

Let’s face it: BMW is in the business of producing and selling cars that satisfy the desires of our customers. So if you want BMW to build manual-transmission cars, then you, as our hardest of hard-core enthusiasts, need to buy them—lots of them—and you need to buy them as new cars.

I bought my BMW used. I’m, arguably, contributing to the problem.

Unquestionably, the future has only two pedals. I’ve driven a Model S, and it made my car feel like the antique it really is. Nevertheless, I love driving my car because of the antiquated way it does things. I don’t expect that will change, until I lose the ability to use all four of my limbs.

Tom is right: there’s little money for BMW in manuals, and time is running out on what money is left. I can’t expect BMW to continue to build the kinds of cars I want, just because I want them.

I’m sure there’s people still using old iPods too.

In a fitting summary, more from Tom:

Buy a manual to save the manual. Pass it on.