First real life photos of the BMW M5 in the stunning Sakhir Orange paint surface from the sunny South Carolina. The restless spy photographer Palbay brings us an extensive photo gallery of one of the most unique paint jobs currently offered by BMW. But that is not all. The model spotted also features the ceramic carbon fiber brakes and…manual transmission.
The 6-speed manual will be available from the start of production this summer and will be offered as a no-cost alternative to the standard 7-speed M-Double Clutch Transmission (M-DCT). The manual offering has one less gear than the M-DCT transmission, but the ratios have been optimized for acceleration, flexibility and fuel economy. The manual gearbox was a popular choice for U.S. customers of the previous generation M5 and BMW demonstrates their commitment to enthusiasts of the brand.
The Sakhir Orange was first previewed at the unveiling of the new M6 Coupe and was confirmed to us at the New York Auto Show that it will make its way into the M5 lineup as well.
As we mentioned yesterday, the M carbon-ceramic brakes will be available for the first time for the new BMW M5, as well as for the M6 Coupe and Convertible. The option is now delayed until 2013 production. The ceramic brakes’ stand-out features include lower weight than the regular brakes (19.4 kg / 42.8 lb lighter), and excellent feel and fade-free performance even under heavy loads. The diameter of the inner-vented and perforated brake disks is 400 millimeters at the front and 396 millimeters at the rear. The six-piston fixed-calliper brakes at the front axle are radially bolted to the pivot bearing. A single-piston floating-caliper compound disk brakes can be seen at the rear. The discs are cross-drilled at all four corners to dissipate heat.
Here is the photo gallery of the BMW M5 in Sakhir Orange.
[Photos: Palbay]
