[Video] Ultra-rare BMW E63 M6 with Manual Gearbox

With the current automotive market and everything it offers, it seems impossible for the manual gearbox to stand a chance. In reality, it doesn’t. And there are a number of reasons why automakers are starting to exclude this option.

First of all, not a lot of people are buying it anymore. And then there are the slushboxes that are progressive with mpg numbers. Thus, making it really crucial to stay competitive in this kind of market today. You might be thinking that it’s just something happening today but the harsh truth of the reality is, that’s not completely true.

In this video we’re featuring today, we have the BMW E63 M6. It comes from a period when manuals were pretty much alive. It’s no surprise a majority of cars in the early 2000s were sold with manual gearboxes. However, in the US market, automatics have already been dominant early on. Even though BMW did offer the majestic five-litre V10 S85 engine with a manual gearbox, people just didn’t buy it as much as you may be led to believe.

Only 701 BMW M6 models come with a manual gearbox, making it a true gem to find. Fortunately, the guys from Roads Untraveled managed to get their hands on one. In this video, we get the privilege to see one of the jewels of the industry, of all time, in action. If you want a V10 mated to a manual gearbox, there are very few choices out there. You can either look at this M6 or a first-generation Audi R8 V10. Yes, the latter had a manual option but wasn’t too popular.

So, while we are so pleased with the engagement such a setup provides, we also get why automakers are excluding the manual choice. Fans of the manual gearbox era have voiced their sentiments about this tragic picture. However, the reality is there’s just no business case for it anymore. In fact, automakers like BMW should be praised for keeping the manual alive on certain cars, as we’ve seen on the current M3/M4 models.