AUTO SPIES EXCLUSIVE: The hot option coming on next year's (2008) BMW M5

As I sit here somewhere on the east coast savoring my day of driving the new BMW M5, I uncovered some news that will be very interesting to the BMW faithful.

One of the hot topics about the newest M5 is that it only comes with an SMG automatic transmission.

That has had a lot of the purist's up in arms becuase there is no 6-speed manual version.

Well fret no more...the 6-speed manual version is coming next fall as a 2008 model.

And the interesting part is that it will only be available in the USA.

Matthew1 - 10/27/2005 11:42:34 PM

+1 Boost

A Manual transmission?

Surely not.

An uproar in Europe would follow. I'm sure the manual will INITIALLY be sold state-side, but make its way to Europe in no time.

Promise.

TheRealJT - 10/28/2005 12:14:56 PM

+1 Boost

This has been well known (and confirmed by BMW)for at least 2 months now.

fam1 - 10/29/2005 12:10:18 AM

+1 Boost

Europe has a manual majority but because of that it doesn't have the same resistance to new things...the 7-speed SMG shifts faster and the Euros are probably smart enough to realize that's a good thing. They had SMG on non-M 3-series cars before we did, and still offer it on the 3 coupes after the US market showed complete indifference to it.