What's the news?
BMW has revealed its sixth generation M5 super saloon in full, ahead of its public world debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show and going on sale in Ireland in February 2018 with an expected price tag of €163,800. It's lighter, faster and more powerful than before, as you'd expect, but the biggest news is that the BMW M5 now has M xDrive all-wheel drive as standard.
Exterior
The exterior of the new BMW M5 follows the usual M division route of adding muscle and presence to the core shape without going over the top. Most changes are functional (as well as aesthetically pleasing, obviously), such as the large air intakes in the new front bumper and the lighter carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) roof. The enhancements extend to new door mirrors, a wider track necessitating new wings, a boot spoiler, side sills and, of course, quad exhausts nestling in a working aerodynamic diffuser at the back. Though some markets are offered 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, it appears that Irish buyers may get the 20-inch bicolour items by default, with the option to have them finished in Jet black. Tyre sizes are 275/35 R20 at the front and 285/30 R20 at the rear.
Interior
Inside, the M5 builds on the quality and design of the current 5 Series with M-specific instruments and displays within the central touchscreen, including change-up lights. The automatic transmission shifter is a chunky new item with the Drivelogic button on top, while the round new M steering wheel features more prominent M1 and M2 custom buttons. These are finished in bright red, a colour that is repeated on the engine start button. The area around the gear shifter houses bespoke buttons to allow the driver to customise the various sub-systems. M multifunctional seats are standard, upholstered in fine grain Merino leather and featuring an illuminated M5 logo.
Mechanicals
BMW's engineers took the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine from the previous BMW M5 and set about improving everything. So, the oil and cooling systems are new, as are the turbochargers, while maximum fuel injection pressure has been raised to 350 bar. The key numbers are 600hp between 5,600- and 6,700rpm and 750Nm of torque on tap all the way from 1,800rpm to 5,600rpm. It breaths through a lighter exhaust with variable flaps depending on driving mode, though, amusingly, drivers can use the M Sound Control button to 'soften its acoustic presence.'
Bolted to the back of the V8 is a development of the company's eight-speed automatic transmission, tagged 'M Steptronic with Drivelogic.' It features three selectable calibrations separate to fully automatic or manual gear selection. At its fastest, the new M5 can dispatch the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.4 seconds.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest news is the adoption of four-wheel drive for the BMW M5. It's called M xDrive and offers loads of customisation, from default 4WD with the DSC system turned on to pure rear-wheel drive with the DSC fully off. We've gone into a lot more detail on the operation of the M xDrive system in our review of a prototype BMW M5 xDrive if you want to know more.
The chassis itself features a bewildering number of upgrades over a standard BMW 5 Series, including M-specific Variable Damper Control, M Servotronic steering and an upgraded Active M Differential on the rear axle.
Anything else?
Frank van Meel, Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW M GmbH, explains the benefits of M xDrive: "The new BMW M5 can be piloted with the familiar blend of sportiness and unerring accuracy both on the race track and out on the open road, while also delighting drivers with its significantly enhanced directional stability and controllability right up to the limits of performance when driving in adverse conditions such as in the wet or snow."
And we've already had the chance to test it out for ourselves. Read our review of a 2018 BMW M5 prototype and watch our video review below.
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