There's a rock free from snow function in the trasmission
 

Rock free from snow function to rock the vehicle free from snow, it is possible to shift between selector lever positions "D" and "R" without the selector lever lock (effective in "N"). With the engine running, the gearshift must be completed within 0.5 seconds.
And other useful info about the 6 speed transmission.

interesting..any idea how does it work exactly? and what situation you would use it in?

This would allow you to shift quickly from drive to reverse without pause- as long as you do it within 1/2 second.

It is used to get a car rocking when it is stuck in snow (or wet sand I'd say for Melbourne)...

Often you can just get a little bit of motion when a car is stuck, but then it slips...so by going forward-backward-forward-etc, you can get the mass of the car 'oscillating' and eventually use that momentum to propel the car 'past' the snow that was stopping the relatively weak force that only the spinning wheel was generating.

Always easier to modulate and control with a manual tranny...

It's a snow thing.;)

A

You would use it when rocking the vehicle back and forth when you are stuck in the snow....

But the document is for the E53, from 2004.

According to the RealOEM.com Diagram Selection the transmissions discussed in the document GA6HP19Z and GA6HP26Z were used in E70s and is still being used in F01/02.

And Wikipedia as well.
ZF 6HP26 transmission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maybe they updated some parts or software to better suit and perform in the E70 and F01/02. I can't imagine having the exact same unit in the E53 and the latest 7 series. The transmission must've gotten better and faster in later applications.

ZF made a second generation of 6 speed automatics but not sure if they were used on any BMWs at all.

Well, they updated the shifter. I wonder if this feature in the transmission is even enabled, given the BMW shifter design?

ah..makes a lot of sense now :) :thumbup: thanks for elaborating!