- The F10-generation M5 was the last to offer a manual transmission.
- The Competition version turned up the output of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 to 575 horsepower.
- This M5 is reportedly one of 118 to combine the stick shift with the Competition package.
The BMW M5 was the last holdout among the German, high-performance executive sedans to offer a manual transmission, but those days ended after the 2016 model year. This 2015 M5, up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is from the waning days of the stick shift. What makes it even rarer is that it combines the row-your-own gearbox with the Competition package, said to be just 118 to do so.
In the M5, the six-speed manual replaced the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and it also includes a rev-matching function. The Competition package was a $7500 option that upped the output of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8’s from 560 to 575 horsepower. It also included a revised suspension with a 0.4-inch lower ride height, 20-inch wheels, an M Dynamic drive mode, and black-chrome exhaust outlets. Like all M5s, it has numerous settings for the suspension, steering, throttle mapping, and more, but two of your favorite combos can be saved and then accessed via the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel.
In C/D testing of the non-Competition M5, we found the manual to be 0.3 second slower to 60 mph than the automatic version, but 4.0 seconds is still pretty quick.
One has to imagine that this car’s Sakhir Orange Merino leather interior is also a rare spec, and it makes a lively counterpoint to the Singapore Gray Metallic exterior. This M5 was also optioned with the Executive Package, which brought a head-up display, soft-close doors, four-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel, among other niceties.
With just 25K miles on the odometer, this car may be as close as you’re going to get to a new BMW M5 manual. Certainly, BMW isn’t making them anymore, and those days aren’t going to return.
This auction ends on October 27.
Deputy Editor, Reviews and Features
Joe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
