You really don’t need to worry about the next BMW M3 not coming with a manual. BMW officials have gone on record more than once about the G30 3-series-based super-saloon coming with an optional stick shift, most recently with M Division chief Markus Flasch pledging to Top Gear that the car won’t be auto only.

We wouldn’t blame you for worrying still, though. High-power manuals are in perilously short supply these days, with only a few heroes like the Aston Martin Vantage AMR keeping the flame. But just to put your fears at rest, have a careful listen to the gearchanges of this 2021 BMW M3 prototype.

Yep, that’s the telltale pause of a cog being engaged the old-fashioned way. Praise be.