With a 600-horsepower (447-kilowatt) biturbo V8, the new BMW M5 is the most powerful example the German automaker has ever built. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, the super sedan has taken center stage at the BMW stand alongside the newly introduced X7 iPerformance concept.
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Apart from a significant horsepower increase – 575 to 600 – the new M5 also improves in like torque and quickness departments. The 4.4-liter biturbo engine now produces 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters) allowing it to sprint to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in just 3.4 seconds, and continue on to a limited to speed of 155 mph (250 kmh). For those more daring drivers, removal of the limiter will result in a top speed of 189 mph (305 kmh).
All that power is routed through a new eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox, with a trio of optional driving modes: Efficient, Sport, and Sport Plus. The latter allows the M5 to convert from standard four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, with a four-wheel drive Sport option also available. If it all sounds a bit too technical, the stability control can be turned off entirely.
The subtly revised exterior includes updates like a more pronounced front diffuser, LED taillights, a larger rear diffuser, and new 19-inch standard wheels, with the option for 20-inch fitments wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. Buyers can even opt for carbon ceramic brakes at no extra cost.
The new BMW M5 tips the scales at 4,089 pounds (1,855 kilograms), shedding nearly 200 pounds (90 kilograms) over the outgoing model. Polymers reinforced with carbon fiber (PRFC) elements in the roof and throughout the bodywork are in part to thank for the dramatic weight loss.
The new BMW M5 will go on sale in Europe beginning this September, with an asking price of €117,900 (approximately $141,000). A special BMW M5 First Edition will be limited to just 400 examples worldwide, and will include added features like Individual Frozen Dark Red Metallic paintwork.
Source: BMW
Photos: gor Gentili / Motor1.com
