Originally Posted by pennetta' date='Aug 31 2005, 06:26 AM

Even though its called a sequential manual gearbox, its not. My Kawasaki ZX1000R is a true sequential, you must go through each gear to get to the next. Its a mechanical linkage so this is obvious. The E60 is relatively standard 6-speed manual with a computer selecting each gear. If you had a mechanical linkage you would be shifting with the modified H-pattern, which has neutral as the center point but you can access any gear directly going through the neutral position.
The heard/read the new M5 has a true sequential unit, like my ZX1000R, designed specifically for this use. This maybe why the SMG option has been suspended for the std E60, so they can convert over to the new tranny design for the rest of the line.