BMW says 50% of M2 buyers in the United States select the six-speed manual, proving strong demand for three-pedal performance cars.

The BMW M2 manual is proving that the clutch pedal still has plenty of fans in America.

According to BMW M CEO Frank van Meel, one out of every two M2s sold in the United States is equipped with the six-speed manual transmission.

Americans Still Want Three Pedals

The figure is particularly impressive because the M2 is also available with an eight-speed automatic that offers quicker shifts and greater convenience.

Yet half of U.S. buyers continue to choose the manual.

Half of all BMW M2s sold in the United States are reportedly equipped with a six-speed manual.

Van Meel says the strong demand is closely linked to the traditional enthusiast combination of rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission.

BMW has already acted on that demand by introducing special manual-only models for North America.

Demand Created the M3 CS Hand­schalter

BMW specifically pointed to the M2’s manual take rate when developing the M3 CS Handschalter, a limited-production model created for the North American market.

The response was immediate, with the car reportedly selling out almost instantly.

BMW created the limited M3 CS Handschalter for North America after seeing strong demand for manual M cars.

The retro-inspired M2 Turbo Design Edition is another manual-only model offered to American buyers.

However, the manual transmission is becoming increasingly rare across BMW’s lineup.

The M2, M3, and M4 are currently among the last BMW M cars available with a clutch pedal, and manual versions are generally restricted to rear-wheel-drive configurations.

BMW Knows the Manual Is Under Pressure

Strong demand does not guarantee that the manual will survive indefinitely.

BMW says increasingly strict emissions rules, driver-assistance technology, hybridization, and a shrinking supplier base are all making manual transmissions more difficult to engineer.

BMW says emissions regulations, hybridization, and other technical challenges are putting pressure on the future of manual transmissions.

In some applications, engineers have even had to reduce engine output because the manual transmission could not handle the available torque.

That makes the BMW M2 manual take rate particularly important.

Buyers are not simply asking for manual cars online—they are actually paying for them.

As long as that behavior continues, BMW has a strong commercial reason to keep offering enthusiasts a car with three pedals.

Range Rover’s first EV has finally launched in the U.S., combining 542 horsepower, a 118.5-kWh battery, and serious off-road capability.

Range Rover has officially entered the electric era.

The 2027 Range Rover Electric arrives in the U.S. with the EV550 First Edition, carrying a starting price of $179,150 including destination.

The launch comes about a year later than originally expected.

542 HP From Two Electric Motors

The Range Rover Electric uses two JLR-developed 260-kW electric motors, delivering up to 542 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque.

The 2027 Range Rover Electric delivers up to 542 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque.

The SUV is powered by a 118.5-kWh battery operating on an 800-volt electrical architecture.

European WLTP testing gives the Range Rover Electric a maximum range of 372 miles.

Fast Charging and Tesla Supercharger Access

Range Rover says the battery can charge from 10% to 80% in about 22 minutes using a suitable DC fast charger.

The system can also potentially add around 137 miles of range in 10 minutes.

The Range Rover Electric uses an 800-volt battery system and will be compatible with Tesla Superchargers in North America.

U.S. models feature the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, allowing owners to use the Tesla Supercharger network.

The model will initially be sold in the U.K., Europe, and the United States.

Serious Off-Road Capability

Going electric has not changed the Range Rover’s focus on off-road performance.

JLR says its traction-management system can react in as little as 50 milliseconds, allowing the electric powertrain to respond rapidly to wheel slip.

The SUV can also wade through 35.4 inches of water.

The Range Rover Electric can wade through 35.4 inches of water while retaining its off-road focus.

Single-pedal driving can help the SUV climb slopes of up to 45 degrees, while its lower center of gravity and twin-chamber air suspension are designed to improve stability and ride quality.

JLR says the electric Range Rover underwent more than 250,000 hours of virtual testing and accumulated the equivalent of 38 trips around the world during development.

The 2027 Range Rover Electric is being built at Solihull, the historic home of the Range Rover, where JLR has also trained thousands of employees for the company’s move toward electrification.

Tesla has started paid Cybercab robotaxi rides in Texas, but the steering-wheel-free EV is already facing scrutiny from federal safety regulators.

The launch is also putting the company in uncharted regulatory territory.

The two-seat Cybercab has no steering wheel, pedals, or conventional mirrors, raising questions about whether it complies with existing U.S. vehicle safety standards.

NHTSA Opens an Audit

Just hours after Tesla’s Austin rollout event, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an audit covering around 1,000 Cybercab vehicles.

The agency wants to examine how Tesla determined that the vehicles comply with federal safety requirements.

Tesla’s Cybercab has entered paid service in Austin without conventional driving controls.

Current U.S. safety standards were largely written for vehicles operated by human drivers and include requirements for traditional manual controls.

That creates a significant challenge for a vehicle designed from the beginning to operate without them.

Tesla Is Betting on Self-Driving

The Cybercab is central to Elon Musk’s broader strategy of making autonomous driving and robotics major parts of Tesla’s business.

Tesla began producing the Cybercab in April and has said production could increase rapidly.

The Cybercab represents Tesla’s push toward fully autonomous transportation and purpose-built robotaxis.

Tesla previously said the Cybercab could eventually cost less than $30,000, although the company has not provided a confirmed mass-market price.

The company already operates a limited robotaxi service using Model Y SUVs in Texas and Florida. Those vehicles retain conventional controls and, in some cases, have human backup drivers.

How Can a Control-Free Vehicle Reach U.S. Roads?

U.S. manufacturers generally rely on self-certification rather than receiving regulatory approval before introducing new vehicles.

There is also an NHTSA exemption pathway for vehicles that do not meet certain safety standards, but that process limits deployment to 2,500 vehicles per year.

Tesla’s Cybercab faces questions over how a vehicle without conventional controls can be deployed at scale under current U.S. regulations.

Tesla’s engineering chief has said the Cybercab would not be subject to that annual limit, although the company has not publicly explained the regulatory pathway in detail.

There is a precedent for the uncertainty.

Zoox previously attempted to use self-certification for its own control-free robotaxi, but later withdrew the claim after an NHTSA investigation. The company eventually received a federal exemption for limited commercial deployment.

That leaves the Tesla Cybercab facing a potentially important regulatory battle. Tesla could continue expanding the service while regulators evaluate its compliance, but any disagreement with NHTSA could ultimately end up in court.