////////////////// Good luck reading German since the following articles published in Auto Zeitung don't seem to translate. But regardless of one's knowledge of the German language, they still give us insight into the mechanical specifics of the new M5, as well as the performance, since one of these is a road tests
Guten tag! 
- LateNightCable
* The first link talks about the new 7-speed SMG transmission, showing us the odd-ball layout of the M5's gears - and proving why SMG is a must.
http://www.bmw.com/generic/de/de/pro...24_bmw_smg.pdf
* An in depth road test from Auto Zeitung, including many stats ...
http://www.bmw.com/generic/de/de/pro...et_az23_04.pdf