Rumor that the F10 M5 will be offered as an automatic only
Oh say it ain't so.
Motor Trend is reporting/rumoring that the next M5 will be offered as an slushbox automatic only because the BMW DCT transmission is unable to cope with the torque that the M5 will develop. Apparently, there's no real torque numbers yet though. Sure, I'll admit that an automatic might be as fast as the DCT, but an automatic M5 just seems
wrong.
I feel that the M division is moving further and further away from their motorsports heritage. Granted, some purist will argue that M deviated from that heritage as soon as they started building the M5, but for a long time, it seemed to strike a balance between a comfortable people carrier and a sporty car that you can also take to the track and have a reasonably good time. If the new M5 is only offered as an automatic, I feel that BMW and M are tracking more and more towards the M5 being a good, comfortable luxury cruiser, but just with a large, powerful engine.
I hope this rumor isn't true, but if the M5 will be automatic only, I see no point for someone to buy the M5 over an AMG.