A local California newspaper noticed plans for a March 7th "R2 Launch" when Laguna Beach city council members met to respond to a request from Rivian.
The six-speed transmission is part of a $3500 'Handschalter' package and will only be available on the six-cylinder M40i variant of the roadster.
The top-dog AWD M4 Competition xDrive gets a boost to 523 hp and the cool LED taillights from the limited-run M4 CSL are now standard.
New three-dimension taillights improve the look, and the four-cylinder 430i and six-cylinder M440i models both now have 48-volt hybrid systems.
Starting at $74,795, this hybrid model will be the second most powerful model in the 5-series lineup, slotting in below the 593-hp electric i5 M60 xDrive.