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When Truth Crushes Our Enthusiast Souls
American automotive enthusiasts are a crazy bunch. While the rest of the world embraces quick, innovative and efficient dual-clutch automated gearboxes, a good portion of Yankee gearheads still scream for old-school manual transmissions. Despite all of the inadequacies with driver-directed gear changes, car nuts still enjoy rowing their own gears.
BMW tried to force enthusiasts into a single-clutch semi-automatic transmission when it launched the
E60 M5 in 2005, but enthusiasts (and the automotive press) wailed so loudly that the Germans reversed course and delivered a six-speed option to the North American market. While performance actually dropped with the manual gearbox, its arrival quelled a rebellion.
The all-new fifth-generation 2013
F10 M5 debuted last fall with a standard - and much improved - lightning-quick dual-clutch transmission. But rather than send North American enthusiasts into yet another frenzy, BMW is adopting a conciliatory tone, offering buyers in the States the chance to opt for a manual gearbox at no additional cost.
We recently found ourselves on the starting grid at California's Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca sitting in a bright Sakhir Orange Metallic BMW M5. Nestled comfortably in the palm of our right hand, wrapped in soft leather with a bright aluminum collar, was a traditional manual gearshift knob.
Continue reading 2013 BMW M5 6MT [w/video]
2013 BMW M5 6MT [w/video] originally appeared on
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First Drive: 2013 BMW M5 6MT [w/video]
