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.

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.

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.