I was waiting for this news to come. Hooray! But they still had to muck it all up by not letting the traction control to be completely turned off...:mad:

Gerhard Richter, the development chief of BMW's M division, practically gnashed his teeth in frustration when he told us last spring that the BMW M5 would be made available with a six-speed manual transmission in 2007. He knew that rabid BMW purists in America had forced the M division to make the six-speed available as a no-cost option for the U.S. version, even though this transmission makes the M5 slower than the car with the standard, seven-speed, electrohydraulic-activated, sequential-manual gearbox (SMG).

And Richter is right: the M5 is slower and even clumsier with a conventional six-speed manual gearbox and a clutch pedal. But the six-speed M5 is also better to drive in almost every way.

When you stab the clutch, pull the lever, and hit the gas, you get what you want, when you want it. The predictable sequence of events gives you confidence, unlike the annoying electronic delay as the SMG thinks to itself and then makes its move. Surprisingly, the six-speed's clutch action is as light as you'll find in a BMW 3-series, despite the burden of coping with the M5's fire-breathing, 500-hp, 5.0-liter V-10. And the action of the ZF-built six-speed's long-throw shift linkage is equally light, although the gear engagement is notchy in that characteristic BMW way. In giving us the six-speed manual, however, BMW took away the ability to fully disable the stability control system. Many enthusiasts will find that unacceptable, and there will be no Ford Shelby GT500-style smoky burnouts at stoplights.

The M5 is a fearfully intimidating machine, and we've found that the SMG transmission (eleven shift modes and all) makes you feel like a victim of speed, not its master. With the six-speed, you become more confident that you can sort out this basterd, even if the stopwatch ticks away while you do.

Herr Richter, a sport sedan might be about speed, but it's also about command and control.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0702_z+2007_bmw_m5+front.jpg

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0702_z+2007_bmw_m5+gear_shift.jpg

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0702_2007_bmw_m5/

Do people want a normal Manual? The 6 speed should be a bit more fun. See really what the car can do instead of that smg system sort it all out for you... I really want to see a comparison with the standard SMG with this 6 speed

^^I remember someone saying the the manual 997 turbo was slower than the paddle-shifted version...

It's amazing what computers can do but sometimes it takes away from the fun of driving...

well yeah F1 transmissions are usually faster than manual human movement... well now after the whole manual gearbox change, i think its a bit better for the driver in terms of having fun driving and freedom of shifting and all vs. the like 20 different shift mode buttons all over the shifter which can be bloody confusing and a hassle, but all in all, there is that heavenly M Sport button placed right on the steering wheel which all it does really is unleash hell to all who drive it

Some M5 owners will probably be pissed with these news. I bet 70% of them would have bought it as a manual if they had the choice back when they bought it.

Still... There still won't be any Ford Shelby GT500-style smoky burnouts at stoplights, so I'd probably still feel like a victim of all the computer technology crap.

That's great news, all the shifting prograns in the SMG were for sure spoiling the fun.
If i ever buy such a car, i will never want a chip to take control of this babe instead of me. ;)

^^I remember someone saying the the manual 997 turbo was slower than the paddle-shifted version...

It's amazing what computers can do but sometimes it takes away from the fun of driving...

It is, except they dont call it paddle shift, they call it automanagearmegatronmatic. Or something like that, as long as they put matic on the end, it'll have electronic and automatic tendancies in their.

Yay, a standerd tranny at last!(kinda) Why, oh, why keep the traction control permanently on? If this is true, I'd rather get the older M5 w/ the V8.....

Well, atleast it'll give C&D one less thing to complain about.

*Waits for them to put me in next issue*

It is a good thing, though. This is a sporty car, and it seems that some people thought that the SMG just wasn't cutting it.

Funny you should say that, because in the February 2007 issue they put up the manual M5 against a Benz E63 AMG, and an Audi S6.

And the results are horrible.

The car is half a second slower to 60 and to the quarter mile. Which in part put the Bimmer last in the comparison. while the Mercedes wins on its power and the Audi is 1 point away from first because its lack of grunt and a "mind of its own transmission."

final tally was

BMW-213
Audi-230
Benz-231

I will state some stuff from the article including direct citations:

-The transmission is the same as the last M5's.

-0-60 time of 4.7 versus 4.2 for the SMG

-Quarter-mile time of 13 seconds at 114 versus 12.5 at 118 for the SMG.

-DSC (stability control) comes in and is always on guard.

-The SMG was made for the V10 engine, bolting a 6 speed manual entails a proviso.

-Lane change drops from 65.6 mph to 60.8 mph

-skidpad frops from .89 lateral g's to .83 lateral g's

-wheel hop is very much an issue to well heeled BMW owners, which risks braking expensive drivetrains

So it appears that all of this complaining for a manual will be costly on performance and reliability for the lead-footers.

yeah clutch, i read the same article.

well i mean, those acceleration times don't really matter when driving the car. the only thing you feel when driving the car is the power, not the sections while shifting inbetween. i bet the manual feels just as fast as the SMG. it's just ******ed how you can't turn off the traction control off. that's like, one of the cars where you really want to be able to deactivate the traction control. wht's goin on with you guys at BMW? you've made some of the best most uncomprimised cars ever, yet your most recent cars are barely "satisfactory". what's with this mediocracy? that's definitely not the BMW way.

As much as I prefer manual gearboxes, I truely seee Automatics as the way of the future.

Most of them are more efficient, quieter and perform better now than the manual counterparts.

Still want a clutch though.

Yay, a standerd tranny at last!(kinda) Why, oh, why keep the traction control permanently on? If this is true, I'd rather get the older M5 w/ the V8.....

Im no expert, but i believe it's because the new M5 is using the last M5's manual transmission, and it can't handle the full power output of the new engine. I might be wrong, feel free to correct me.

^i highly doubt BMW would use the old M5's manual...

YAYYY.. finally.. oh and you can turn of the stability control, but you just have to know how.. want to know how? Well, im going to tell you!:p

You hold down the ASC/DSC button for 6-10 seconds and it fully turns off!!

yay, finally they have no SMG!! but that gear knob is kind of out-dated for a new M5, its just like those on the previous M series...

but still, lovely, manual is a great fun, finally we dont need those heavy auto transmission thingy

yea, turning off the DSC and drift that beast, it will be even better...

This is pretty pathetic of BMW if you ask me. They go around boasting themselves up as the Greatest Driving Machine but it takes them well over a year to offer a manual gearbox.

This statement pretty much sums it up for me.
wht's goin on with you guys at BMW? you've made some of the best most uncomprimised cars ever, yet your most recent cars are barely "satisfactory". what's with this mediocracy? that's definitely not the BMW way.
I like the older BMW's. I would consider an early 90's/late 80's 3 Series as a first or second car but the news ones are really sub average to me.

This is great, i hated that stupid up/down thing, its a lot more fun with a proper stick

YEAH about the E39 M5, beautiful car in every aspect, love it better than the new one, partly why i even decided to buy one.

about the new manual vs. the SMG isnt a big deal either. im saying, big deal its a half second slower in the quarter mile or whatever, its the driving experience. since when are you doing quarter miles everytime you get out of a stoplight? and caring if you made it under 12 seconds? in an M5?

SMG might be fast, but wheres the fun in pushing a little paddle under your finger behind the wheel.

If anyone wants to know the ups and downs of smgIII you should visit M5board.com. I own an E60 M5 with SMGIII and I think its great. It can shift faster than humanly possible!

And just if you all wanted to know, its only for sale in the US because there was a large demand for it.

yes this is good news

Well ppl the SMG proved to be a big hit for every bmw fan since 97 in the M3.The M5 E60 and the cutting edge technology offered by the V10 powered engine is the SMG 3 and its fast ability to shift from one gear to the next.The 7 speed SMG proved and got many awards on it's accurate and reliable efficiency and you really want to tell me that u want to go back to the standard manual gearbox.I mean dont get me wrong the 6 speed manual and clutch are fun as hell but the SMG with its 7 speed rather than the 6 manual is much more,how u say,Practical i guess.

You have to think about it, people dont always want elctrics controlling them, and with the manual, its funner' and you can control your slide more:)

One word - FINALLY!

As much as I prefer manual gearboxes, I truely seee Automatics as the way of the future.

Most of them are more efficient, quieter and perform better now than the manual counterparts.

Still want a clutch though.


i still think clutches are better for braking , also dont wear ur brake pads down as much

lol.. vanquishes sig is sick.. lol.. i like that!!

the gear knob looks very tiny.....

car is beautiful from front and nice from back, but when you look it from a side it is ugly,

Finaly that gearbox is now awalible for choice, are the performace the same? (0-100km/h)

Why does everyone complain about the M5's 7-speed box? First of all, it's a family sedan, you arn't going to buy a 4 door car just to take it to the track to slide around and practise your shifting. 90% of the time, you can't drift on the road or do anything illegal. A sport sedan is meant to transport 4 or 5 people in relative comfort, while being fun to drive at the same time. It isn't a sports car. I can see why you might complain about the M6 having an automatic because it's intended mainly for sport, but this is the m5 we're talking about. I might complain that a bus isn't fun because it doesn't have a manual, but it isn't meant for sport, is it? The 7-speed semi-auto in the M5 sedan is the best balance between comfort and sport, not to mention it actually makes the car faster. Yes the M5 is intended for sport, but it's still designed to be a comfortable sedan. Complaining about a 4,000lb sedan not having a fully manual transmission is about as pointless as complaining about the bus not having paddles, for example. Get the M Coupe - which is cheaper - if you want pure sport.

Why does everyone complain about the M5's 7-speed box? First of all, it's a family sedan, you arn't going to buy a 4 door car just to take it to the track to slide around and practise your shifting. 90% of the time, you can't drift on the road or do anything illegal. A sport sedan is meant to transport 4 or 5 people in relative comfort, while being fun to drive at the same time. It isn't a sports car. I can see why you might complain about the M6 having an automatic because it's intended mainly for sport, but this is the m5 we're talking about. I might complain that a bus isn't fun because it doesn't have a manual, but it isn't meant for sport, is it? The 7-speed semi-auto in the M5 sedan is the best balance between comfort and sport, not to mention it actually makes the car faster. Yes the M5 is intended for sport, but it's still designed to be a comfortable sedan. Complaining about a 4,000lb sedan not having a fully manual transmission is about as pointless as complaining about the bus not having paddles, for example. Get the M Coupe - which is cheaper - if you want pure sport.The problem is the exact the opposite of what you've addressed. It's no the fact that it shifts automatically, or that it doesn't have a clutch pedal. The problem is the clunky engagement in normal city driving. Sure it shifts faster than a 6speed manual, sure it hits 60mph a half second faster than the new manual (which is a shame). But in regular driving, the shifting experience is just short of whiplash. I've been behind one from a stop, and was surprised to accually see the car jerk (I could see it shift from first through fourth). I recently spoke to a guy who owns an M5 and an E63, and he admitted that he likes the Benz by far because its just as fast, yet far more comfortable. We both agreed that The E39 with a Dinan performance upgrade was the way to go.

you know i bet it feels just like the E46 gearbox. Like your about to snap it in half. Why dont they make it a little harder.... just my 2 cents

The problem is the exact the opposite of what you've addressed. It's no the fact that it shifts automatically, or that it doesn't have a clutch pedal. The problem is the clunky engagement in normal city driving. Sure it shifts faster than a 6speed manual, sure it hits 60mph a half second faster than the new manual (which is a shame). But in regular driving, the shifting experience is just short of whiplash. I've been behind one from a stop, and was surprised to accually see the car jerk (I could see it shift from first through fourth). I recently spoke to a guy who owns an M5 and an E63, and he admitted that he likes the Benz by far because its just as fast, yet far more comfortable. We both agreed that The E39 with a Dinan performance upgrade was the way to go.

The clunky engagement is a good enough reason to prefer a manual over the automatic, but I kind of thought the complaints were mainly because it wasn't "fun" enough.