Good news M fans who can’t get enough of M power. The newest M power, the new BMW M5, has just gone official and it looks, well, so very 2017 BMW. That being said, there’s really nothing to pick on the aesthetic; it is just the design language you have come to expect of a Beemer of 2017/18. What’s important to true M fans would be what goes under that muscular, sculpted aluminum hood which happens to be a very, very angry 4.4L V8 bi-turbo motor with, you guessed it, M TwinPower Turbo technology that kicks out 600 horses and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
The accomplished motor is paired to a new M xDrive and a specially tuned eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic that promised an adrenalin pumping behind-the-wheel experience with the flexibility of adjusting the transmission’s characteristics to suit individual driving preferences, as well as a variety drive modes that caters to the desired drive types. The same eight-speed M Steptronic unit is also very apt for track use too, offering lightning-quick shift times.
In other words, this beast is equally at home on the track as it is off the track, while boasting the practicality of accommodating more than just two person. All told, this very, very angry power plant and M transmission enables the new BMW M5 to make the century sprint (0-62 mph) in a scant 3.4 seconds, sending it on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles an hour (or about 250 km/h). Oh, 155 mph is a bit of a wuss, you say? Well, fret not cos’ with the optional M Driver’s Package (read: more money to drop), you can keep it going to 189 mph (or 305 km/h).
Sensational, but the number there kind of makes my knees go jelly. So, I am good with 155 – if I can ever afford a M5 for the meagre return (note: singular) I am getting for typing furiously on this aging MacBook Pro. Pardon me for my rant. I just can’t help it. Anywho, the suspension is also track-tuned, by experts and racing drivers at venues including the renowned Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit and the body is suitably stiffened to handle the punishment of track use and the stiffness also ensures the driver is also be in touch with the track.
Though, as mentioned, the aesthetic is not something to be disputed; it does, however, a little different from the lesser 5 Series. Expect to be greeted by broader front and side panels, larger apertures on the front bumper trim for the purpose of sucking cool air to the engine and the brakes, new rear diffuser that engulfs a quartet of flap control system-equipped tailpipes, and CFRP roof.
Other worthy mentions include M compound brakes, blue-painted six-pod fixed callipers up front and single-piston floating callipers at the rear, perforated inner-vented brake discs all round, enormous 19-inch light alloy rolling stocks wrapped in M-specific tires (275/40 R19 front; 285/40 R19 rear), Merino leather and M seats with electric adjustment and head-up display for the futuristic touch.
The 2018 BMW M5 Sports Sedan will be available for order starting September 2017 priced at €117,900 (about US$139,000), with deliveries expected to commence in spring 2018. Along with the ‘standard’ BMW M5, a First Edition draped in BMW Individual Frozen Dark Red Metallic paint job will be made available for an extra €19,500 (around US$23,000). However, do take note that only 400 examples of the special-edition will be put for sale worldwide. Therefore, if you want one, you ought be quick. Keep going for a few more looks.
Images courtesy of BMW Group.
