Rumormill: 2012 BMW M5 to get manual tranny in U.S.

Contradictory to earlier rumblings, the upcoming F10 BMW M5 will reportedly be available with the option of a traditional manual transmission here in the United States. As with the E60 M5, we'd expect the stick-shift-equipped F10 to be slower than its automated sister, but we doubt it will amount to anything noticeable. Buyers will still be able to opt for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission here in the States, if they so desire.

There's one option, however, that BMW won't be offering in our market. In Germany, buyers can opt to have the car's top speed raised to 189 miles per hour, provided they agree to enter an M5-specific driver training program. This will likely be a costly option – in addition to the price of the training program, buyers will have to shell out for upgraded engine management software, as well as a set of ZR-rated tires.

[Source: BMWBlog | Images: CarPix]