These are the first official images of the next BMW M5. The pictures have been leaked early and show the new M5 in all its pumped up glory.
Stretched wheelarches at the front cover 20-inch alloy wheels, while a broad radiator grille with large air intakes dominates the car's face. There are also air vents to the rear of the front wheelarches to let hot air escape from the engine bay.
BMW has kept the M5's profile uncluttered, while at the back there are the now traditional quad tail pipes and a small lip spoiler. It's all very subtle, but performance will be no such thing thanks to a new twin-turbo V8 engine producing 560hp. It's enough to see the M5 from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds, with help from a double-clutch eight-speed gearbox.
Inside, the new M5's cabin is not radically different from that of the recently launched F10 model BMW 5 Series saloon. There's a chunkier M steering wheel and alloy plate for the driver's left foot, but the biggest difference is the "M" button that allows the driver access to full power and pre-selected throttle and suspension settings.
As with the previous BMW M5, the driver can fine tune the set-up of the new car through the iDrive system. The M button then provides a short-cut to this preferred set-up.
BMW has yet to confirm prices for the new M5 in Ireland, but the car is set to go on sale in November.