2012 BMW M5 Spotted Testing With Manual Gearbox in the US

See that shabby-looking stick in the middle of the console? That’s probably one of the most important bits of leather plastic an metal in the world right now for true BMW M fans, because it indicates that the upcoming M5 will let you switch cogs manually with a little help from your left foot.

Thanks to the efforts of Inside Line’s blog, we can tell you that the 2012 BMW M5, which will be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show in September, will have a manual option... at least in the States. This is because a test Bavarian car was spied on foreign soil with a conventional stick that should be linked to a six-speed box.

The prototype was spotted in Los Angeles, California and was also seen wearing a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

Some US customers might not be all that into using a clutch pedal, so we’ll remind you that the performance saloon will also sport a seven-speed dual clutch option, otherwise known as the M DCT.

The M5 is still a closely guarded secret in some aspects, but we can tell you the monster will make use of a high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology (aka 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the X5/X6 M SAVs). Figures might show up to 570 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque, enough to pull the vehicle past the 62 mph (100 km/h) threshold in 4.4 seconds.

BMW says the new M5 will have significantly more power than its predecessor while also being 25 percent more efficient. The reduction in fuel consumption will be due to fuel-saving measures engineered by BMW Efficient Dynamics, such as an automatic stop-start system and brake energy regeneration system.