Is There Any Point In Saving The Manual When It Feels Lifeless Already?

Don’t save the manual. Yep, I just said it out loud. I’m sure the purists among you must be going all purple-faced after reading this and probably want me to be crucified immediately.

- SHIVANK BHATT

How can I say something as blasphemous as that? How can anyone be a real car enthusiast if they don’t like manual transmissions?

But, before you stone me to death for having an opinion, allow me to explain. I don’t hate manuals. It’s just that I don’t love them unconditionally. You won’t find me jumping up and down in excitement on social media or automotive forums every time Porsche or BMW announce manual trannies for their new models. My heart barely skips a beat. Put simply, I’m not a blind devotee – you know the kind that wears the ‘Real-Men-Drive-3-Pedals’ label as proudly as Hitler’s army wore Swastika bands. I’m not that kind.

Why am I suddenly against the #savethemanuals campaign though? Simple. They are a thing of the past! Why do I feel that? I’ll answer the question with the help of the brand-new BMW M2. In its second generation now, the M2 is back in India. On paper, it’s an all-out assault – it gets the bigger bro M3’s S58 twin-turbo engine (slightly detuned but still a 450bhp monster!), along with the classic front-engine-rear-wheel drive layout. And to make matters even more exciting, there’s now a manual transmission on offer for the first time in India. As close as you’ll get to automotive nirvana, right?