M5 6 Speed MT Review

[DMC126]

Rowing Gears in the New M5

http://www.bimmerfile.com/2012/08/30...m5/#more-23073

Last year we had the privilege of driving a European specced M5 in beautiful Andalusia, Spain and were more than impressed. On the Ascari racetrack the DCT equipped M5 was more than capable but felt overly heavy and too big to be tracked regularly. So how can what seems to be a less than intimate car become more engaging and enjoyable?

By featuring a third pedal on the floor and a stick on the console that allows drivers freedom to choose whatever gear they want, whenever they want it. Last week at Laguna Seca we dusted off our driving shoes for some heel-toe love and were shocked by what we found.

We questioned the rationale of BMWNA bringing the M5 in a manual when it was announced earlier this year because there are so few that would check that no-cost option box and the M5′s current size makes a manual seem out of place on the track or the street. Not to mention the clientele of this car. Who wants to be stuck in traffic trying to shift gears with colleagues or prospective business partners questioning why you don’t have an automatic (what are you poor or something?).

We were wrong on some levels. Yes, we just ate crow.

The six speed manual box is in basic form the same as that in the 550i. It has heavy duty upgrades for the hydraulics and friction surfaces making it able to withstand the abuse the 560hp S63Tü V8 deals out. To our surprise the bloody thing automatically matches revs. Going into the first turn after pit out as we were amidst some heel toe magic the car did it much better than we could have on its own. The rev-match occurs for all downshifts (and double de-clutch downshifts) from gears 5 to 1, except when SPORT+ engine mode is selected. As M fans know, SPORT+ is where the fun lies but it is now also the “blip it yourself” mode.

The throws are a bit long but the engagement and action are crisp and precise. It is far less notchy than the box in the current M3, and the shift from 1-to-2 doesn’t require that slight hesitation to have a clean shift. The clutch pedal is light but the take up is what we’ve become accustomed to in M variants. The rev matching is so good that you can flake out and shift mid corner without disrupting the chassis- It can happen, especially when you drive countless laps in a DCT then switch rides.

The M5 has historically been the bad boy sedan, the sleeper race car for those that want speed, luxury, four doors and a real back seat. Those qualities remain for the most part with the current car but the level of driver involvement and increases in refinement have most certainly changed. As the 5 Series has grown, the intimacy with road has decreased partly because of the size but mostly because of the weight.

In Europe the M5 makes perfect sense on the high speed autobahns; it is luxurious, comfortable and is as fast as schnell. It is the original “Bahnburner.”

Where the waters get murky is in the US, where it is not even equipped with adjustable side bolsters (huge let down). Thanks to low speed limits and the notion that most owners will never track their car the fun level is not what it should be. Sure one can mash the right pedal for that pressed into the seat feeling while watching the competition remain in the rear view. But that loses its magic after a few less than close competitions. That’s where the manual comes in and actually ups the fun factor up a quarter turn towards bliss.

Some backroad twisties hitting the perfect shift is what the ultimate driving machine is really about, the speed is low but the thrill is high- that’s what enthusiasts can look forward to when not taking in track days. It’s all a bit sad really, the M5 has gotten so good and lost so much of its abrasive edge, that outside of high speeds on the autobahn or track time, nailing shifts is where the driver’s true skill and fun comes in.

The M5 is still a fast luxurious machine, with the six speed manual it is just more fun and engaging.

[s4awd]

More fun? That was all I needed to hear. Can't wait!

[bradone1]

Fantastic review! Now I really cant wait for my 6MT!!

[nybimmerfan]

Finally, a confirmation of what I thought the 6speed MT M5 would be -- fun to drive. I am glad that I ordered a manual! You should see the grin on my face and the pout my friend has for his ordering a DCT, ha ha ha! Now my friend said that he wished he had followed my lead rather than having listened to the irrational reasoning posted by some in this forum that the 2013 M5 has no room for a manual. His car is now in production and I doubt that he would be able to change although he said he will try and asked his CA if he can still make the change from DCT to 6MT.

[stealth.pilot]

In some ways this review sounds like the kind of story you hear from those who prefer sailboats to power boats. One is not better than the other, just a different experience suited to a different person.

But the fun and engaging comment is silly. It is fun and engaging to you. Personally I find the DCT more fun and engaging, and I have owned 4 manual transmission BMWs including an M3.

[dkoren]

Having finally gotten to drive my 6spd tonight, I can confirm that the manual is a blast to drive.

[uhn2000]

My order is in as well! Can't wait!

[visualguy]

They make the point about the car being overkill for the US, so you need manual to have some challenge and fun. I've seen this argument mentioned before, and it doesn't make sense to me. If the car is overkill for the US, it's overkill regardless of the transmission. Having manual transmission doesn't suddenly cause this car to make sense. You can get manual on less powerful and less expensive fun-to-drive cars.

The other funny thing is the love of the automatic rev matching on this manual box. That's already half way toward automating the gear change, so might as well automate the clutch as well and have a DCT.

It's very hard to find good reasons to go with manual on a car with an excellent automatic which can be shifted manually like the DCT on this car. I tried really hard to come up with reasons when ordering my car because most of my cars have been manual, but I couldn't find anything significant-enough to merit going with manual on the M5.

[matthewEW]

Originally Posted by visualguy

They make the point about the car being overkill for the US, so you need manual to have some challenge and fun. I've seen this argument mentioned before, and it doesn't make sense to me. If the car is overkill for the US, it's overkill regardless of the transmission. Having manual transmission doesn't suddenly cause this car to make sense. You can get manual on less powerful and less expensive fun-to-drive cars.

The other funny thing is the love of the automatic rev matching on this manual box. That's already half way toward automating the gear change, so might as well automate the clutch as well and have a DCT.

It's very hard to find good reasons to go with manual on a car with an excellent automatic which can be shifted manually like the DCT on this car. I tried really hard to come up with reasons when ordering my car because most of my cars have been manual, but I couldn't find anything significant-enough to merit going with manual on the M5.

Visualguy, I was in the same quandary whether to get the DCT or the 6MT but finally chose the 6MT even if I have not tried either. My rationale is that with an M5 6MT,at least I get the total involvement in the shifting as oppose to the DCT. Don't get me wrong, I like the DCT especially on cars like the 550i as I have tried both manual and DCT and for that model, I think the DCT is perfect as I find the manual somewhat "sticky" and "labored" and not much fun to drive. Now, with the M5, some have commented that the manual drives very spiritedly like a 1M inspite of its weight and size. Even the BMWNA chief in interviews and who has driven both M5 DCT and 6MT says so too and does prefer the 6MT over the DCT for that model.

[DMC126]

Originally Posted by visualguy

It's very hard to find good reasons to go with manual on a car with an excellent automatic which can be shifted manually like the DCT on this car. I tried really hard to come up with reasons when ordering my car because most of my cars have been manual, but I couldn't find anything significant-enough to merit going with manual on the M5.

This is what BMW recognizes as the preference of a loyal and vocal segment of the US M5 market:

BMW M President Dr. Nitschke was recently asked why the US M5 gets manual transmission, but not other markets such as the German home market, to which he responded:

That is a curious situation. America is an automatic-transmission market. But sporty drivers always chose a manual over the automatic transmissions, which used to be inefficient and have just three or four gears. But technology has moved forward—personally, I am actually quicker with an automatic than with a manual. Our European customers have understood that. But in the U.S., there is a small but very stable following of customers who simply insist on the manual. And that is not always easy for us: Our new M5 and M6 have so much power that a mismatched shift can easily destroy the transmission. It’s not easy. Therefore, for the first time, we have advanced our software to cut spikes and protect the transmission electronically.

It all boils down to personal preference. The choice of more than a few for the F10 M5 is the 6 Speed MT. There is no right or wrong choice. It really is that simple.

[jphughan]

Hmm, it automatically rev-matches for you unless you're in Sport+? I feel like that takes a lot of the fun away from driving MT. Part of the thrill of driving MT for me is constantly chasing those perfectly smooth upshifts and rev-matched downshifts (especially heel-toe) and feeling like a total hero on those few occasions where I get it exactly right. My enjoyment doesn't come from pushing a pedal and rowing a stick for its own sake, but from the reward of knowing that when it's just right, it's because I did it just right, not some computer. I understand that smoother shifts are more "in character" for a car like an M5, but it's coming at a cost of a major chunk of MT fun. If all I'd be doing in a 6MT M5 is pushing a pedal and pulling a lever without the satisfaction of having to work to get it right, I'd almost rather have DCT.

And if Sport+ throttle on the M5 is anything like the M3, it's not a mode you'd want to drive in. In my M3 I use Sport for casual road driving since slightly twitchy can be fun there and Normal on the track where precision is the name of the game. Too bad the M5's auto-blip isn't configurable separately from throttle response, hopefully that changes in a software update -- though since this would be managed by DME, it wouldn't be a setting controllable via iDrive, so the best BMW could probably do would be allowing the dealership to change it for you like they've started doing with Auto Start/Stop.