BMW 3-Series

The BMW 3-Series features a Manual transmission and Rear Wheel Drive drivetrain on the base model 3-Series. This vehicle has a retail price of $35,300.00 for the base trim package but feel free to view our detailed car options, photos, and more to see if it is worth the price. With such a huge repository of new car research information, it would be difficult to have any more information anywhere online. Buying a new car is a big decision so take your time and research all of the various cars and options. You can even compare similar new cars side-by-side. When you think you have finally narrowed down your choices, be sure to fill out are free, no-hassle, price quote form so you can see what deals may exist in your area.

BMW

Beginning with aircraft engines, BMW AG produced a variety of products in its early years, eventually shifting to motorcycle production in 1923 and automobiles in 1929. The circular blue and white BMW logo, which has not been altered throughout the company's history, does not in fact symbolize a spinning propeller according to a BMW spokesman Joerg Huebner (although the imagery did appear in post-WWI advertisements). The BMW roundel badge is believed to have been partially derived from the logo of its predecessor company Rapp Motorenwerke, while ultimately taking on the colors and checkers from the arms of Bavaria (fusilly in bend argent and azure).[1] BMW's first significant aircraft powerplant was the outstanding BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance, and among its successful WWII engine designs were included the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet. BMW's factories were damaged badly in the war, and many surviving machine tools were confiscated by the victorious Allies.

BMW AG bought the British Rover Group (which at the time consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG marques as well as the rights to defunct marquees including Austin and Morris) in 1994 and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was making huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover marques were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new MINI, which was launched in 2001

Cradit : Wikipedia

Full Test: 2006 BMW M5

Push the start button on the 2006 BMW M5 and there's a slight delay before the engine fires as if to hint at the complexity you're about to set in motion with your finger. And when all 10 cylinders burble to life they give new meaning to the words "performance sedan."

The engine, 5.0 liters of smooth-idling perfection, is capable of more than 8,000 rpm. It typifies the harmony at work in the M5: At idle its creamy smoothness belies its full capability. Like the rest of the car, it is what you want when you want it: relaxed and composed one minute, intense and aggressive the next. It is…balanced.
So throw out your preconceptions. Ignore logic. Forget what you think you know. Then engage the MDrive button and mash the throttle and the M5 will readjust your automotive sensibilities.

Drive it
MDrive, as BMW calls it, changes the M5's character however its driver chooses. It can, at the push of a button, transform the car instantly from a comfortable and quick luxury sedan to a brilliantly balanced, insanely fast road weapon. Technically, you could set everything to change very little, if at all, but when used properly, it increases the M's power output from 400 to 500 horsepower, swaps its throttle response, shift speed and suspension damping to more aggressive settings and disables stability control. Think of MDrive as the M5's Jekyll and Hyde button.

Bump the M button, nudge the paddle, breathe the throttle and we're under way. All at once this is a different sedan from the one we parked last night. Last night it was comfortable, not soft but comfortable, shifted slowly (too slowly), and made some pretty good yank when we stepped on it. It was a banker's car. Or a doctor's car. Dr. Jekyll, perhaps.

Now it's different. Now it's sharp-edged and angry. Delay and hesitation are gone. Every action is met with a deliberate reaction. Throttle jabs in the first two gears will send you to the chiropractor. Expansion joints become speed bumps. Full throttle upshifts — even in a straight line — require countersteer correction. It is immediate. It demands respect. It is Mr. Hyde after a swirly and sugar buzz.

This personality engages serious drivers in ways others in its class never could. This is a car that takes braking, turning, accelerating and hauling passengers seriously.

An engine for the history books
From outside the car, the 5.0-liter V10's sound at idle is tinny and not at all pleasant. The harshness is the reverberation of high-energy exhaust pulses inside the long, stainless-steel manifolds. It's an ugly, abrasive sound uncommon in the world of production engines, where exhaust energy is almost always muffled by cast iron. It's also the sound of BMW's undiluted focus on performance.

Rated at 500 hp at 7,750 rpm and 383 pound-feet of torque at 6,100 rpm, the aluminum engine has a unique power delivery and its combination of sound and thrust are entirely out of place in a sedan. There's no surge of torque when the throttles are opened like in any of the current sports car engines making similar power. Rather, there's a linear wave of thrust that crescendos with an intake shriek which sounds genuinely pissed at its 8,250-rpm redline.

Much of the sound comes from the 10 individual throttle bodies swallowing air through the large plastic intake plenums that cover both banks of cylinders. But the throttles are only the beginning of the technology at work here. There's also VANOS variable valve timing infinitely adjusting the opening and closing of the four lightweight valves at each cylinder.

Other exotica? How about the 12.0:1 compression ratio, hollow camshafts and those ugly-sounding 22-inch exhaust headers. This is an expensive engine. But it makes power and stirs the soul in direct proportion to its cost.

SMG: Round three
A new seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox is assigned the duty of transmitting the V10's power to the tarmac and BMW tells us a six-speed manual transmission will be available in the fall of this year. The new SMG, unlike it predecessors, is the first BMW gearbox designed exclusively to operate as such. Designing it from the ground up as an SMG made it stronger and quicker-shifting than previous versions.

Drivers select from two operating modes: sequential or automatic. In sequential mode, gears are selected manually using the steering-wheel-mounted paddles or the shift lever. There are six programs to modify shift speed and clutch engagement in sequential mode. During downshifts in this mode, revs are matched to the selected gear. Requests for a downshift which would overrev the engine are ignored.

Automatic mode, from a user standpoint, is very similar to an automatic transmission in which shifts are made for you. Five shift programs are available in automatic mode and they're all quite slow.

In action it's a blessing and a curse. On its most aggressive setting it lacks subtlety to the point of feeling abusive. Full-throttle upshifts begin with a microscopic pause followed by a violent thud as torque reloads the drivetrain. They're loud, ugly and fast as hell, so be sure you mean it if you're going to do it.

Downshifts, when they're executed as requested, are heavenly. Rev matching is as computer precise as expected. But more often than not when driving hard, they're ignored. Timing downshifts to the predicted rate of deceleration is still not a task suited for street-car technology. We often had to work the downshift paddle two or three times before we got the desired gear.

A chassis dressed to thrill
Visually the M5 stands out from other 5 Series models with double-spoke 19-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips, quarter-panel vents and several minor body changes including a small trunk lid spoiler. It's a subtle freshening that will only be noticed by those keen enough to know it's an M car.

Underneath the M5's skin is a capable all-aluminum suspension design that's up to the task of harnessing this kind of power and weight (4,012 pounds). Conventional MacPherson struts up front and single lower control arms with two upper lateral links at each side make up the rear suspension.

Damping is electronically adjustable in one of three modes: "Comfort," "Normal" or "Sport" via BMW's Electronic Damping Control, which continues to adjust damping to suit road conditions within each mode. The ride, even in Comfort mode, is exceptionally well controlled. The Normal setting provides an aggressive ride and Sport is stiff enough to only be useful on a glass-smooth racetrack.

The M5's steering ratio is variable and quickens as the wheel is turned off center. Steering assist is also variable between two levels which are linked to the car's electronic damping modes. In Comfort mode more steering assist is available than in Normal or Sport modes. Steering feel is typical BMW, with sharp off-center response and a just-right soft spot on center so as not to feel nervous when cruising. It's an appropriate balance for a car like this.

Naturally, BMW's most advanced braking system graces the M5. Behind the 19-inch wheels are huge 14.7-inch front and 14.6-inch rear two-piece rotors bringing the big sedan to a stop. Surprisingly, there are no four-piston calipers hiding in the front wheels. Instead, BMW chose a far less sexy dual-piston sliding-caliper design.

Power is sent to the Continental SportContact2 tires through BMW's M Variable Differential Lock limited-slip rear differential. Torque is distributed evenly between the rear wheels when viscous fluid in the clutch-type differential is sheared by a difference in wheel speed. In action, it's a quick-reacting, natural-feeling torque distribution that spreads rubber on pavement like butter on toast.

Control room
Overall, with its combination of leather, satin aluminum or wood trim and iDrive, the M5's interior is a distinctly Bavarian balance of form and function. Because iDrive controls navigation, climate, stereo and communication settings, the dashboard is relatively uncluttered. Switches on the center console control engine output, suspension modes and all 11 SMG calibrations.

The optional 18-way adjustable heated seats in our test car were equipped with active backrest bolsters which move inward to brace the driver or passenger against cornering loads. They are a gimmicky feature that can distract at critical moments. Luckily they can be switched off. We'd make due with the standard heated seats which are only 16-way adjustable.

The thick-rimmed leather steering wheel is stitched with red and blue and serves as the perfect frame for the easy-to-read 200-mph speedometer and 9,000-rpm tachometer. There's also a head-up display which projects engine speed and gear selection into the lower portion of the windshield, but we could never find it at a glance.

How's it stack up?
This is a very different car from the Cadillac STS-V or Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, its only obvious competitors. Both of those cars are powered by grunty, supercharged V8 engines that, when compared to the M5's high-revving V10, feel like they belong in a tractor. This unique power delivery endows the M5 with more edge and involves its driver more than a lower-revving engine.

The M5 is also faster than the Cadillac and on par with the E55 in virtually any contest of speed. Our test car plowed through the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds at 115 mph — a full half-second quicker than the comparably priced Cadillac. It hit 60 in 4.8 seconds, slightly slower than BMW's claimed time of 4.5 seconds. Our test surface isn't known for its grip, and without the aid of launch control, which isn't available on U.S.-spec M5s, launching the car is a trial-and-error procedure.

Perhaps most impressive was the M5's 69.2-mph slalom speed, which trumps the Cadillac by exactly 4 mph — no small margin in this test. Surprisingly, it generated only 0.86g around the skid pad, a number that doesn't reflect its capability.

Braking distance from 60 mph was outstanding at only 112 feet — 10 feet shorter than the Cadillac. Pedal feel was initially solid and confidence inspiring, but we did notice very slight fade after five back-to-back stops.

Is it for you?
Learning the M5's nuances, the ins and outs of its various systems and its ridiculous number of adjustments, is a serious task. And it comes with a serious price. Our test car totaled $89,090 with options and the mandatory gas-guzzler tax.

The M5 is one hell of an advanced car and it will challenge anyone who approaches driving like a conventional enthusiast. Most of the time it's brilliant and more than capable of meeting its driver's requests for power, grip or comfort. But get lazy — leave the tranny in 7th gear then mash the throttle for a quick pass on a back road — and the SMG's brilliance fades as fast as the oncoming headlights loom. No amount of technology will save you from idiocy in manual mode.

The 2006 BMW M5 isn't just a sedan. And it isn't just a performance car. It's a new breed of machine that defies definition. It's a 500-hp four-door that's equal parts passion, performance and highfalutin utility. Like we said…balanced.

Credit By Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor

Full Test: 2000 BMW M5

There's a glass ceiling in the automotive world when it comes to what you get in relation to what you pay for. The BMW M5 is slammed up hard against that ceiling and we think paying more for any new car is a foolish waste of money. Put another way, spending more than the approximate 75 grand needed to acquire an M5 is where the law of diminishing return begins in terms of all things automotive.

Case in point when looking at the highest echelons of four-door super-luxury sedans: Why would anyone spend 200 or 300 bills on a car like a Bentley or a Rolls Royce when the M5 is so much better than anything at any price that it makes the car a screaming bargain in the process? It just ain't worth it and that's why we look at the M5 as the ultimate car of any type — especially when you factor in what the M5 costs and what you get for that price.

Before we get into why the M5 is on the razor-sharp edge of this spectrum, a comprehensive overview of this amazing machine is clearly necessary. The first-ever V8 in any BMW M car, the M5's 5.0-liter (at 4941 cc, it's really a 4.9-liter) powerhouse is probably the most spectacular engine available in any car today. Based on the M62, 4.4-liter DOHC mill in the 282-horsepower 540i, the M5's engine is designated the S62.

While the basic architecture is similar, the M5's engine is entirely unique. Using the hot-rodders magic dust that's known as stroking, the M5's engine has an increased stroke from 82.7 millimeters to 89 (or in standard terms 3.50 inches). The M5's aluminum block is a specific casting. Its 94-millimeter (3.70-inch) cylinder bores are also slightly larger compared to 92 millimeters in the 540i. An increased stroke is the shortest path to more torque and the M5 delivers in 500 cubic-inch, American big-block V8-type portions.

The longer-stroke crank moves oil-cooled pistons specific to each cylinder bank. The cooling is achieved via two separate oil passages in the crankcase. Compression is 11:1 — a full point higher than the 4.4-liter in the 540i.

The M5's engine oiling system is as exotic as the rest of the motor's innards. Sensitive to the high cornering ability the car is capable of achieving, engineers deemed that natural return of oil to the oil-pan sump would be inadequate during extreme cornering. Therefore, two scavenging pumps, one for each cylinder bank, are utilized. In normal driving, these pumps pick up oil from the rear of the engine and return it to the sump. During hard cornering (0.9g or more) the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system's lateral-g sensor switches magnetic valves to different pickup points at the outer side of the oil pan. This system remains active even if the driver switches off DSC. A thermal sensor monitors oil level and temperature and a warning appears in the "check control" display if the level falls below a certain point. Replacing the fuel-economy gauge found in many BMWs, the M5 has an oil-temperature gauge in the tach face. Additionally, oil is cooled by a coolant-oil heat exchanger, the first-ever application of this on a gasoline engine.

Moving up from the engine block, the M5's cylinder heads are also updated from the 540i with more efficient cross coolant flow and larger intake ports. Although the 35-millimeter intake and 30.5-millimeter exhaust valves are the same as the 540i, the M5 has more aggressive cam profiles, another element contributing to its prodigious power output.

On top of the massive amounts of torque supplied by the increased stroke and cylinder-head modifications, the S62 breathes like a wild fire fanned by a giant bellows. A special induction system takes air in at two points behind the front bumper, passes it through two intake silencers and into a pair of mass-air meters before heading into a carbon-fiber plenum on top of the DOHC cylinder heads. From there, air travels through 230-millimeter intake runners to the cylinders. The plenum and runners are attached to the throttle housings by a rubber/metal flange that separates the plenum from the engine itself, thereby keeping the air charge cooler before it goes into the cylinders.

Air going into the cylinders isn't through a single throttle body as it is on almost all automotive street engines, but rather through eight separate throttle butterflies that are controlled electronically when the driver presses the accelerator pedal. A separate throttle butterfly for each cylinder is usually found only on purpose-built racing engines. Previous M car inline sixes, like those in the M1, earlier M5 and M6, had a similar setup, but none of those were electronically actuated.

Of course, these separate 50-millimeter throttle butterflies are much closer to their respective cylinders than a single unit could ever be, so air flow lag times are eliminated and the engine ends up having much improved throttle response.

The fly-by-wire system operates thusly: The driver give commands with the accelerator pedal to two potentiometers which move each throttle butterfly operating in its own housing mounted directly at the intake ports. As the driver moves the gas pedal, the commands are calculated by the engine's computer processor and received by a DC servomotor between the cylinder banks. In turn, through a small gearbox, this motor drives a shaft that drives a link to each cylinder bank to rotate the throttle butterflies of that bank.

These two links rotate the throttle shafts, connecting via balljoints at cylinders 3 and 6. From these points, the other three throttle butterflies are opened and closed and the servomotor reacts to any pedal movement in a light-speed-like 120 milliseconds. The result is the driver perceives no lag time — only instant throttle response. Furthermore, the M Driving Dynamics Control System, controlled by a switch on the dash, provides two settings for throttle response: normal and an even quicker sport mode. In addition, the throttle butterflies for cylinders 4 and 8 have their own feedback sensors to monitor operation. If a fault is recognized in the system, one of four limp-home modes allows operation of the car at speeds of up to 62 mph.

Besides the engine, oiling system, cylinder heads, intake system, and throttle control, there's yet more wizardry hidden under the bonnet of the heroic M5. The final piece of the M5's powerplant puzzle is Double VANOS steplessly variable valve timing. The VANOS acronym refers to variable cam control or variable valve timing (in German — VAriable NOckenwellen Steuerung). Double VANOS is employed on a BMW V8 for the first time in the M5. It steplessly varies the timing of both intake and exhaust valves on both cylinder banks. While current BMW 2.5- and 2.8-liter inline sixes also have the Double system, the 4.4-liter V8 used in the 540i, 540iT, 740i/740iL and X5 have a Single VANOS system that only varies intake-valve timing. In addition to more low- and medium-speed torque output, the advantages of VANOS are numerous. Even before the car is moving, you get reduced unburned hydrocarbons during idling, smoother idling, internal EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) at low speeds for improved control of nitrogen oxides (NOx), quicker warmup of catalytic converters after cold start (thereby reducing emissions during this operational phase), and reduced combustion noise.

As with other BMW engines, the VANOS mechanisms are at the front of the cylinder heads. Dedicated oil pumps provide the 1450 psi of hydraulic pressure used to actuate VANOS with one per cylinder head. Furthermore, valve timing is varied over a range of a full 60 degrees in terms of crankshaft rotation, a wider adjustment range than on any other BMW engine.

The S62 also uses a unique Bosch Motronic engine control system dubbed the MSS 52. In addition to controlling basic engine functions, this processor oversees the electronic throttle system (including cruise control and DSC), the engine's g-sensitive lubrication system, the thermal oil-level sender, catalytic-converter protective functions, Double VANOS, a 7,000-rpm rev limiter, and the M Driving Dynamics Control which provides two settings for the throttle system and power steering.

The Motronic also administers a variable tachometer-warning zone that reminds the driver that a cold engine should not be driven hard. When the engine is first started, the "yellow" line indicated by orange LEDs begins at 4,000 rpm. As the engine warms up, the LEDs turn off to lift the limit in 500-rpm increments until the normal limit begins at 6,500 rpm. The actual redline is 7,000 rpm.

The result of all these cutting-edge mechanicals is no less than the world's most powerful four-door sedan as the M5 makes an even 400 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 369 foot-pounds of torque at a low 3,800 rpm. There isn't a four-door car on earth that can touch it.

The M5 isn't available with an automatic transmission. Its Getrag six-speed is the same basic unit as found in the 540i, but with a strengthened self-adjusting clutch. With a stump-pulling 4.23:1 low gear, fifth is 1:1 and the overdriven sixth is 0.83. The final-drive ratio in the limited-slip rear differential is 2.81:1.

The M5's chassis is as equally dazzling as its drivetrain mechanicals. Mostly based on the 540i six-speed, the M5 has firmer shocks and springs and low-friction steel balljoints that replace rubber bushings at the outboard ends of the rear suspension's upper arms.

The quick-ratio power steering has a 14.7:1 overall ratio and M Servotronic power assist. Compared to the engine-speed-sensitive variable assist of lesser 5 Series cars, the M5's system varies power assist according to vehicle speed. The system is calibrated for a firm road feel and the recirculating-ball steering gear has an automatic pressure-point adjustment that eliminates free play in the straight-ahead position. The result is precision comparable to that of rack-and-pinion steering while retaining what BMW says is the superior suppression of road shocks offered by the recirculating-ball mechanism.

Put all this rather awe-inspiring technical prowess together and you get a driving experience that's on the same level: awe inspiring. An editor took our LeMans Blue test car home one evening and surmised this: "There are no superlatives to describe how close to perfect the M5 is for the serious driving enthusiast. Take everything ever uttered or written about a BMW, magnify it 10 times, and then apply it to this car."

Most of our staff felt the same way. On deserted stretches of lonely two-lane, the M5 is pure fantasy pulling up to and blasting through triple-digit speeds like a cheetah chasing down its prey. Massive amounts of big-block-style torque are available at any engine or vehicle speed, in any gear - remarkable for a motor barely displacing more than 300 cubic inches. It almost feels as if the faster you go, the harder the engine pushes you to license-endangering velocities.

Besides the warp-drive-like thrust of the M5's powerplant, its chassis dynamics are equally enthralling. Over twisty back roads and hairpin curves, the M5 is simply infallible in its ability to go, stop, turn and grip. Despite its hefty 4024-pound curb weight, the M5 is as much at home on a racetrack as it is in the valet-park at any city's most exclusive watering hole.

In fact one editor placed the M5's capabilities beyond some of the most sporting two-seaters, citing that it goes about its business "like nothing I've ever driven before, including a C5 Corvette, an Acura NSX and the often-rickety Dodge Viper."

Staffers who cycled in and out of the car also noticed another trait of the M5 so extreme that no other car we've ever driven comes close. It might even be somewhat of a bad thing — at least in terms of the legal standing of one's driving record. The car is so competent that it lulled everyone who drove it into believing that 80 mph on a four-lane highway equates to a mellow Sunday drive puttering along like an old man. One editor related, "I literally had to force myself down to 65 mph (in a 55 zone) and set the cruise control to keep from getting arrested by the local gendarmes."

Although the M5's look is so subtle that most mistake it for a standard 540 or even a 528, we still had a blast playing head games with those who think they might've had a leg up on us in such cars as a Porsche 911 or a Corvette. One editor who had a particularly good time with snooty 911 drivers noted, "It's great (and a little weird) driving a sedan with leather seating, decadent luxury, satellite navigation and scads of other features while simultaneously seeing Porsche 911s on the road and thinking 'I'm faster than you. Your car ain't s--t.'"

Picking on unsuspecting Porsche drivers and pilots of other seemingly high-powered machinery aside, our M5 proved to be a bit fickle at the test track when it came to generating outright stellar quarter-mile times. It should be noted, though, that neither the car nor the driver was at fault. Rather, the track's somewhat greasy conditions contributed to slower-than-expected performance. But even though our mid 13-second quarter-mile times were a few tenths off the car's 13.3-13.2 second capabilities, the trap speeds clearly communicated that our car was as strong as any M5 that's been tested by anyone else. We recorded consistent speeds of 105 mph on our way to a best e.t. of 13.75 seconds at 105.7 mph. We also pedaled (and we do mean pedal in first and second gear) the M5 to 60 mph in 5.28 seconds. As expected, the M5 excelled in braking and skidpad testing, too, stopping from 60 mph in a scant 116 feet and circling our 200-foot diameter pad with .90 g of lateral grip. Top speed is electronically governed to 155 mph, but BMW has said that with no governor, the M5 would probably be good for up to 180 mph.

But hard test numbers tell only a fraction of what this car is all about. We see the M5 as a convergence of all the best a car can offer. It has performance on par or beyond that of a C5 Corvette or 911 combined with four doors, room for five, a real trunk with 11.1 cubic feet of carrying capacity and rock-solid build quality. One editor likened the M5 to a sports car with capacity to carry people and cargo. He further noted that, "Unless you're sold on a Boxster S or Corvette's looks, and if you've got the dough, the M5 makes a far more practical performance machine." In most ways the M5 is just about a perfect car.

But not quite. While the M5's flaws are just about exclusively confined to inside the car — and none really have anything to do with how this Bimmer actually drives — they are still notable and in some instances, almost annoying. A number of staffers thought the gauges were on the small side and the steering wheel rim also obscures the tops of them. Some drivers felt the DSC system was too intrusive during spirited driving — shutting it off would cure that. A problem with all current BMWs: to shut off the HVAC fan you have to click the control switch numerous times. Other nitpicking could include an uncomfortable center armrest, control markings on the dash that are difficult to decipher, and the navigation system that takes too long to update your location when you're simply tracking the car's position on the map.

Otherwise, the interior is a model of comfort and civility. With 16-way heated power seats, everyone who drove the car was able to find an ideal setting to concentrate on piloting this rocket ship. One staffer was happily able to find a "perfect driving position with adjustable lumbar and a myriad of seating positions."

The only gripe related to driving the car concerns the clutch. One driver noted that at times it was "heavy with an abrupt engagement point that proved to be a hassle in traffic."

Sure, one can carp about such frivolities like clutch engagement, but we'd say that particular editor can take a long walk. The M5 is the world's finest sedan with stunning acceleration, eye-popping grip, anchor-imitating brakes, ballerina-like chassis dynamics, decadent luxury, and people-and-stuff moving practicality all rolled up into subtle but aggressive and purposeful-looking bodywork. At any price, this car, to take a page from a Jack Nicholson movie, is "as good as it gets."

credit By Miles Cook Email By Scott Memmer Email Date posted: 01-01-1999

BMW - M5

A consonant and an odd number: M5. Simple enough, yet these two digits hold enough power to make just about any red-blooded car enthusiast mess himself. The previous generation M5 with its superb V8 and six speed manual transmission was, simply put, the ultimate sports sedan in the world. With its balance of refined luxury and its ability to embarrass the owners of some exotic sports cars, the M5 has definitely earned its place in the automotive hall of fame. If you were BMW, how would you go about replacing this modern legend?
With a big old V10, that’s how! You also get controversial American designer Chris Bangle’s team to add a bit of lipstick to an already debate-provoking design. But screw what it looks like, let’s talk power. The new M5, according to the company, is the most powerful production vehicle in the BMW lineup. Considering this is a family of vehicles that don’t exactly have any problems in the power department, to be at the top of this gene pool is quite a feat. How much so, you ask? Think 507hp and 384 ft-lbs of torque out of this 5.0L beast with an 8,250rpm redline. That’s an increase in performance by over 25%, not to mention that this V10 tops the oh-so-wonderful 100hp per liter mark.

Lets talk nuts and bolts for a moment. The V10 features two banks of five cylinders arranged at a 90 degree angle with a crankshaft drive optimized for lower vibration and improved comfort. Because of the stress owners are expected to place on this engine, BMW went with a bedplate design for the crankcase – a first for any of the company’s production V engines. Grey-cast iron inserts are integrated into the aluminum bedplate to improve acoustics and ensure high oil flow. The high-strength crankshaft is supported by six bearings. BMW’s bi-VANOS variable valve timing system keeps emissions in check despite the engines high performance tuning. Each cylinder has its own throttle, the control of which is electronic and cylinder bank specific.

The exhaust system is made of seamless stainless steel with a dual-flow design all the way to the mufflers, where they exit out through M-trademark four tailpipes. In the United States, the M5 is expected to meet LEV2 emissions standards. Ionic current technology is used by the engine management unit to detect engine knock, misfiring, and combustion misses. Essentially, the system uses the spark plug as an actuator for the ignition and as a sensor for monitoring the combustion process.

Replacing the previous M5’s six-speed manual will be an all-new seven-speed (the world’s first) sequential gearbox, aka SMG. Considering the V10’s high-revving nature, the short-spaced shift times should allow the driver to wring the most out of this sedan’s 8,250rpm redline. This being an SMG transmission, an automatic-shift feature will be available for those times when you’re sitting on the 10 freeway, crawling your way into Los Angeles (which Southern Californians know is, basically, every day). As good as the SMG may be, you can imagine some diehards are lamenting the loss of a true manual transmission. However, when this beast goes from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds (according to BMW), who really gives a damn? The 124mph mark is reached in a very quick 15 seconds while the top speed is an electronically-limited 155mph. BMW boasts the M5 could top out at 205mph if it wasn’t for the damn computer. Paging big, angry mob: Bill Gates needs you in room 5. Thanks.

As is all the rage these days, the new M5 has been tested on (and designed with input from what was learned on) the north loop of the legendary Nurburgring race track in Germany. The results are lap times of around 8 minutes. It should be noted that all M vehicles have been tested here, not just recent ones. Note to Cadillac, this one’s for you. Though this is essentially a 5-series on crack, no one will be able to say that this is just your ordinary 525i. All of the handling systems and electronic assistants have either been exclusively designed for the M5, or substantially redesigned from their more plebian roots.

For starters, there’s an exclusive variable, torque-sensing differential lock for optimum traction, especially coming out of corners. BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) comes with two selectable driving styles: one similar to the typical 5-series, and the M Dynamic Mode that allows for sporting maneuvers while still standing by to save your sorry ass should things get a little out of control. Of course, DSC can also be deactivated at the press of a button. Likewise, the M5’s Electronic Damper Control (EDC) allows the driver to select three levels of electronic suspension tuning (comfort, normal, sport) – no longer does buying a sports car mean a constant kidney pounding ride. Unless, of course, you like that kind of stuff. The large brakes and twin-piston sliding calipers (similar to those in the 7-series) are expected to bring the M5 from 62mph to 0 in under 36 meters.
Exclusive M5 design details include revised front, rear, and side treatments along with the M-typical new side mirrors, quad exhaust tips, and large wheels. Like the M3, the M5 now sports “gills” incorporated into the front side fenders. The interior features new leather colors, a new steering wheel, new center instrument panel treatments, and new gauges. In the end, it’s going to come down to whether or not you like Bangle’s style – no amount of M dress-up is going to save the 5-Series’ design if you hate it already. Likewise, if you love it, this will likely only make you even more infatuated.

Whatever you think about Chris Bangle, iDrive, and the rest of the “new” BMW lineup, the M5 is still a force to be reckoned with. To some, it may not have that classically aggressive look of past, but it’s certainly got the balls to back up its unique looks. I started this article writing about a letter and a number. I’ll end it with another letter and two more numbers. V10. That’s all that matters.
credit By Mike Cervantes