OK, I really tried to resist responding to this thread, but I'm traveling and need some downtime. One of the reasons for my hesitancy is that I have NOT read all 5 pages prior to reply; I usually try to read all responses before piping in.
BMW has my business because in 1999, the ONLY mid-size luxury car I could buy with a manual was a 5-series. Thus my BMW obsession began with a 528 5-speed (which arrived 3 mo later as automatic, but that is another story; suffice it to say it was corrected ASAP by the dealer), then a 2002 530 5-speed, then the M5 I still have and a Z4M coupe. While I admit to a small amount of inappropriate and indefensible glee that my M5 and Z4M were offered with manual transmissions only, really most of us are enthusiasts here and thus to each his/her own. When autos (dual-clutch or those with the dreaded torque converter
) became faster than manuals, I had to really consider what I was doing. So I tried them all, SMG (all generations), DCT, and most recently (in the M235i) the well-regarded ZF 8-speed auto (often for 1 week at a time).
For me, I'll take the manuals until car manufacturers stop offering them, which will likely be within 10 years. The cars are fast enough with the manual and I'm not tracking the cars for competition. I still get a thrill from knowing that my forward progress will be influenced at least somewhat by my skill and not just flooring the accelerator pedal (straight line only here - I realize that there is much skill to be had around the track regardless of transmission).
In the end, I'm grateful to BMW for offering manual transmissions (especially in the US relative to other countries in terms of the F1X M5/M6) and will buy them as long as offered. To those who prefer the auto/DCT option, I completely respect and understand that decision.
It's nice to have a choice.