Manual vs automatic: which BMW M2 should you buy?

Manual performance cars are getting rare in 2025, and many models have ditched the third pedal in favour of quick-shifting automatic transmissions. The Volkswagen Golf R, Audi RS3 and the Mercedes-AMG A45 S are all auto-only, leaving the BMW M2 as one of the last truly fast sports cars which is still available with a manual gearbox.

But is the decline of the manual a bad thing, or are you better off relinquishing control and going for an automatic? Well to find out, I drove both versions of the new BMW M2 back to back.

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BMW M2 manual vs automatic: engine and power

Let’s start with some numbers. This is actually the updated version of the BMW M2, meaning it gets slightly more power than before.

It still uses a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, but power has been increased from 460hp to 480hp. Torque has also seen an increase from 550Nm to 600Nm.

The manual version uses a six-speed gearbox, while the automatic has an eight-speed torque converter unit, as opposed to the dual-clutch transmissions you find in most Volkswagens and Audis.

BMW M2 manual vs automatic: performance

Straight-line speed is where you’ll notice a difference between these two cars, because the automatic does accelerate faster.

It’ll do 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds, whereas the manual takes 4.2 seconds. This is to be expected, because an automatic gearbox can send power to the wheels more efficiently than a manual, and there’s less room for human error as well.

BMW M2 manual vs automatic: driving

The numbers on paper only really tell half the story here, because the biggest deciding factor between these two cars is how they feel to drive.

I took the wheel of the manual first, and it’s a pretty nice gearbox to use. It’s not as slick as the one you’ll find in something like a Toyota GR86, but it’s smooth enough and the clutch is perfectly weighted and feels great.

It also has automatic rev matching, which will blip the engine between shifts to make everything nice and smooth when you’re driving quickly. This can be turned off if you fancy practising your heel and toe skills though.

It’s pretty easy to drive in town as well. Of course, the automatic is more relaxing in stop-start traffic, but the clutch in the manual isn’t too much of a chore. That is unless you opt for the massive carbon bucket seats, which have a protrusion between your legs which digs into your thigh as you change gear.

So, what about the automatic? Well the first thing you notice is that it’s a very smooth ‘box, which at low speeds effortlessly slushes together the gears so you can waft along. Put it into one of its many more aggressive modes though and it becomes a very different animal.

The changes become lighting quick when you pull the paddle, and in its raciest setting you get a jolt as you change up which adds to the theatre. The automatic M2 is almost too easy to drive fast – take your eye off the speedo for too long and you’ll quickly find yourself surrendering your license to a displeased police officer.

BMW M2 manual vs automatic: which should you buy?

The BMW M2 feels like it was designed around the automatic gearbox, because the engine pairs with it so well. This should come as no surprise though, as it’s basically a detuned version of the setup you get in the auto-only BMW M3 and M4.

The changes are lightning fast, and the automatic accelerates quicker as well. However, I did have one observation which may influence your decision.

And that’s a feel-good factor. Both of these cars are far too fast to drive to their full potential on the public road, but the manual gearbox adds a layer of involvement which makes the M2 more fun to drive when you’re not on the ragged edge.

If you do a mixture of road and track driving, the automatic version of the BMW M2 is a no brainer. You may also want to consider the automatic for daily driving duties as well – it’s more relaxing in stop-start traffic.

For me though, I would have the manual version of the BMW M2. I don’t mind a third pedal in traffic, and I don’t often drive on racetracks either, so the manual is, in my opinion, the more fun car of the two.

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