E60 M5 - German Links ...

[LateNightCable]

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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

[LateNightCable]

This information has been around a while, but the U.S. market M5 will be made available with a more conventional 6-speed manual for late-2006 or early 2007, in place of the standard 7-speed SMG box. Americans aren't as into F1 shifting as the Europeans, so now we have a choice.

I assume this will translate to the M6 as well.

[bleh]

we probably wont be getting the 7 speed because we around aloud to go over 70mph in this country ops: and in a lot of states we arent aloud over 65

[wEstSide]

I bet they'll offer it. It's an awesome gimmick, like with the M3 SMG II.

[LateNightCable]

We aren't aloud to do 155+ either, but the options are there.

I'm fairly certain the SMG will at least be offered, if not standard. After all, there are other cars on the U.S. market with a 7-speed, Mercedes namely.

[GIR]

Originally Posted by bleh we probably wont be getting the 7 speed because we around aloud to go over 70mph in this country ops: and in a lot of states we arent aloud over 65

In NL the topspeed on the highway is 120km/h (or 75mph), but the 7 speed SMG III is still standard over here.

I'm not so sure about the 6 speed manual thingy for the US, up untill now I thought it was a rumour and not a comfirmed fact. The thing is that EU has always been the manual market while the US tend to lean towards auto's. I don't if this is also true for high performance cars but given the fact that most M5 buyers don't even care about racing but just want to spend the money I'm pretty sure that they'll want the 7 speed auto over the 6 speed manual, it has 1 gear more and is auto...

Now given that the EU is a manual market and the EU is also the home of BMW it would make more sense for then to release a 6 speed manual in the EU rather then the US.

The reason that the US buyers have been begging BMW for a 6 speed manual is nonsense in my eyes. I'm sure EU buyers would opt for a 6 speed manual if given the option and we want that option as badly as the US buyers.

The 7 speed SMG isn't as bad as it seems or atleast so I hear. Yes in the higer programmes it does shift very hard but c'mon it's a frikkin 507bhp race saloon. What did you expect? Fast cars and comfort do not mix! If you want a fast car and not spill your coffee in hard turns buy a Merc and stop yapping about the shifting in the M5. The E60 M5 does have a good compromise between both. In the lower programmes (which Isn't being mentioned in the press at all) the shifting is very smooth, smooth for a race salloon that is.

[LateNightCable]

The U.S. manual thing may or may not be rumour, but although it is true most U.S. buyers just want to floss. There is indeed a large group here ( mostly devoted M-car drivers ) with a lot of say. They requested an M3 sedan in the U.S. and BMW made one. It was a hit.

[Fabulous]

here the translation - note: my english isn't the best

Shift faster !

For the gearbox the new high-rpm concept of the BMW M5 is very difficult to handle it because there is no manuf. for gearboxes that can manage more than 550NM of torque and 507hp @ 8500rpm ( ooook !) This is the reason why the "M GmbH" (GmbH is such as the Ltd in the states - M is the BMW sportsline - you should know it), had to make their own gearbox for this engine. Klaus Schmidt, the contrivancer for gearboxes at M decided to make a 7-step sequential gearbox because it has lower "rpm and torque jumps" than the regular 5 or 6 speed gearbox and a continuous acceleration: 0-100km/h (0-60mph) = 4,4 sec. and 13,9sec the new M5 cross the 200km/h speed (120mph).

"Shifting like Schumacher" (the german F1 Driver)

You can shift with a shiftknob in the center console or with flaps on the steering wheel. alternative you can let the boardcomputer do this job and you can let him shift like a normal automatic gearbox. Unlike the regular AT Gearbox there is no torqueconverter that needs power from the engine. An Electro-Hydraulic controls the clutch and do the shift process. For this job the new M5 has a hydraulic system that works with with a systempressure of 90bar and respond very fast. An ECU controls solenoids which opens in thousandth part the clutch - switch gear and adhesion in the same time. Tranny specialist Schmidt tells us that this system works 20% faster than the SMG II in the new M3, the new M5 can accelerate without jerk to his topspeed. If you switch back (i.e. from 5th to 4th gear) the engine will intermediate throttle application like a race driver will do it - just faster ! A gearbox like this, without mechanical connections is very compact to produce , in the aluminum gearbox are the gearwheels placed that they doesn't need much space. The heavy claimed gearwheels from the 1st and 2nd gear are placed in bearings near. To take advantage from this system, while the shift-fork takes one gear out, another shift-fork takes the next gear in - at the same time, this increase shift speed. The complete control unit of the hydraulic system is placed in the gearbox as well as the control valve.

That Gearwheels, bearings and shafts stay in the gearbox for ever, the mechanics used special steel. A teflon-coat is used to decrease friction - this is necessary because the gearbox has temperature stadart of 110°C with it's own cooling systen - because of the high rpm's. Another characteristic is the "Drivelogic-System", a technique where the driver can individual adjust the shift procedure. With a button in the center console the driver can adjust the shift time. The higher the rpm's and and the throttle of the engine is the faster are the shift time's. You're able to switch between balanced dynamic and super racy.

With the "Launch control" function you're able to reach max. acceleration. The driving dynamic control will be disabled in this mod and the electronic takes the shift-up process instead of the driver. With optimized slip at the rear wheels the M5 accelerate till it's top speed and inform the driver with a HUD in which gear he is at this time. A grade-assistant prevent the roll back on hills/acclivities while driveaway and defer the shift points in a way if it goes up or down.


i hope you can understand it. When I've got time I'll translate the other sheet (if it's not too much).

And now - RESPECT to me

[LateNightCable]

Originally Posted by Fabulous And now - RESPECT to me

Right.

Thanks for the translation though.

[bleh]

Originally Posted by LateNightCable Thanks for the translation though.

i had to lengthen my post by 10 characters. that is the purpose of this line