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Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants
Surely the E9x M3 new car sales numbers represent the desirability of each transmission on a per country basis. So in the USA its a what? 1:2 split MT-DCT?
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Just some food for thought. Both of my local BMW dealerships do not have a single manual transmission car on their lot. This includes M cars. Hell, I think there's only a coupe 3 series even that offer RWD instead of AWD. If I wanted a new M3/4 I could wait for months to get a manual made for me, or I could leave today with a DCT car.
I don't think most new BMW drivers are the enthusiasts that we represent on these message boards. They buy for vanity, newness, convenience and yes, sportiness (I'm generalizing here).
My point being - you can't say more people choose a DCT car because it's not really presented as much of an option anymore unless you're willing to wait. Dealerships are making safe bets and are buying autos/DCT's in much greater numbers. With that in mind, it's a miracle so many people (1:2 ratio as you said) were willing to wait for a 6SPD to be made for them! I bet even those that prefer a 6MT would be happy with a DCT, so that's what they end up buying out of convenience. The used car market is a different animal though. Often, these people have dreamed up a vision of the perfect M3 and are seeking it out.
That all being said, I don't see a huge difference between DCT and 6SPD values in the future because each used buyer will have their own preferences.