E61 M5 manual conversion - one less original.

[Twistee 451]

Personally I don't agree with the concept of doing a manual conversion on a car that is 1 of 222 that were right hand drive ever made.  It annoys me every time a journo or youtuber bags the SMG after spending 10 minutes with it, the SMG is raw and brutal when you want it to be but can be butter smooth doing the school run. So either I have a Wednesday car or most reviewers have made up their mind about how bad an SMG is well before having any seat time. Rant over.

That aside, I'm all for someone championing the E61 M5 and I do like Carfection as a channel.

 

[Harper 536]

Can't they be converted by just putting an E90 M3 manual gearbox in and coding to match. Meaning it's pretty easily reversible no? I can't really see a problem with converting them personally. 

[Twistee 451]

 

@HarperFair call, I'm sure it's 100% reversible, I could be completely wrong (more than happy to be) and the manual could be the greatest thing to have been missed by BMW ever in the touring.

[aja540i 1906]

So, it STILL has a manual gearbox, but they have taken out the paddle shifters and put in a clutch pedal. I don't understand the point myself.

Don't get me wrong I love a good manual, but thats exactly what the SMG3 box is, and sure it is not perfect for every situation but I wouldnt be either if I had to push a pedal and move a stick fast enough to keep up with that V10!