2005 BMW M5 vs. 2005 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG BMW Transmission & Engine Adjustability

Joystick For Adults
By Matt Stone

Anyone who's "raced" on a PlayStation knows the drill: You want to go fast, you need to fiddle with your virtual car--tune the suspension, optimize engine performance, etc. Now, with the new M5, BMW owners can do the very same thing.

A small "M" button on the steering wheel actuates MDM--M Driving Mode, a one-touch command that tells several of the M5's electronically managed systems that you're ready to boogie. Press M, and you get full-power engine mapping, the transmission selects its quickest manual mode, the electronic dampers are set at full firm, the steering adjusts to its sportiest setting, the electronic stability program backs off to allow more wheelspin, and the head-up display activates. Even cooler: You can adjust these criteria via iDrive. Can an online forum trading "optimum M5 setups" be far behind?

Quick Change
By Matt Stone

Most electrohydraulically managed sequential-manual gearboxes are composed of a robotic mechanism that's been adapted to an existing transmission. Not so with BMW's new seven-speeder. It was conceived, designed, and built from scratch as an SMG. BMW's engineers placed the first- and second-ratio gearsets at the strongest parts of the transmission housing, as they take the most gaff from the engine. This creates a shift pattern so bizarre that it can't be easily managed by the human hand. But the computer doesn't care, and this SMG can crank off shifts in as little as 65 milliseconds. It offers a choice of 11 different manual and automatic shift modes and a drag-racing-style launch control, and shifting can be accomplished via steering-wheel-mounted paddles or a floor-shifter on the console.