Matt Russell, BMWNA M brand manager, granted us an exclusive interview at the 2011 New York Auto Show. First part of our discussion went live earlier this week and we’re following up today with the second installment. Matt continues to provide some insight into the M brand, and also gives us more details on the upcoming M5: transmission choices, the horsepower war and handling of an M.

Since we’re part of the enthusiasts club, we wanted to find out when the new 1M will join the M fleet at Performance Center Driving School, one of the most exciting driving programs in North America.

The interview goes on for about 16 minutes and as much as we wanted to trim it down, Matt’s responses were to intriguing to be left off. So let’s join him and Christiaan Conover for this quick chat from the 2011 NYC Auto Show.