The real problem with AF is lenses. If we completely ignore the fact that the Leica battery doesn't have the juice to run an AF system, we still need to accept that the design of the lenses will need to be seriously compromised. Something I don't think Leica is prepared to do. AF lenses need to be either really light or really large compared to any MF lens. The motors in AF lenses need to drive lightweight optical systems, So you either get a lens like the Canon 50mm 1.8 where the build is incredibly light and flimsy or the 50mm 1.4 which is huge because it needs to be designed in a way that the focus group is small and in the middle of the build. And even the Canon 50mm 1.2 is poorly built compared to any Lieca lens (or even a CV lens for that matter.
I don't think Leica users would be prepared to spend 8K on a camera and 3K for a lens when those lenses are built like the
Fuji lenses. (mechanically, not optically). And no AF system can drive lenses made like the current M lenses. Not to mention the near impossible task of integrating AF and rangefinder coupling into the lenses.
Leica need a mid range system. Somewhere between the X2 and the M9/10. Somewhere in the XPro1 range. A 8K body is never going to be a major player, but a 3-4K body just might. Leica were due to release a new system this year. Unfortunately it looks like Fuji released almost exactly what Leica were planning 6 months before leica and now they're scrambling to work out what to do now.
The M10 needs to be wholy an M. nd if Leica built an AF camera with a 1.3x sensor and AF lenses they'd make a killing, especially if it had proper 6 bit adaptors fo M lenses.
If Leica do make an AF M10 then at least the price of my M9s will go through the roof rather than through the floor.
Gordon