BMW says that its upcoming 2013 M5 sedan – its halo performance sedan – will be available with a six-speed manual transmission in the United States and Canada.
The announcement ends months of speculation about the row-it-yourself transmission, which will not be offered to European market buyers (at least for now).
The six-speed stick will be a no-cost alternative to the seven-speed M-Double Clutch Transmission (or M-DCT) for buyers in the U.S. and Canada. The shifter itself features a short-throw linkage and the lever will be black leather with a backlit knob. BMW says that the M-DCT’s final drive ratio and M differential are identical in the six-speed variant.
BMW concedes that its previous M5s have always had a high take rate for manual transmissions in this market.
Full details on the M5 are available here.
Look for the M5 – with both transmissions – to hit the market in late summer 2012. BMW will announce further details, including pricing, closer to that date.
