BMW has released a video showing its all-new M5 in testing in Scandinavia ahead of its expected debut at the Frankfurt motor show this year.
The video, posted on BMW’s YouTube channel where these screen grabs were taken from, features an M5 still wearing camouflage and some brief comments from BMW M boss Kay Segler. He describes the “strong” new M5 as “a bold business car that at the push of a button turns into a sports car”.
Replacing the outgoing car’s naturally aspirated V10, a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 is expected to produce around 570bhp in the new 'F10M' M5, comfortably eclipsing the current car’s 500bhp and offering considerably more torque because of its pair of turbochargers.
In the X5 M and X6 M the same engine produces 69.2kgm; that’s 16 kgm more than the outgoing M5 can manage. The hottest 5-series currently available is Alpina’s B5 Biturbo — but while the specialist manufacturer’s offering also uses a twin-turbo V8, its inlet and exhaust systems differ from the likely set-up in the M5.
The M5 is expected to get a dual-clutch transmission instead of the B5’s eight-speed auto, too, and BMW’s product will feature stop-start in a bid to improve fuel economy and emissions.
The next M5 is tentatively tipped to appear at the Frankfurt this year — although its debut, like the outgoing car’s, may yet be made in the form of a design study instead of the full production model. Sales of the M5 are expected to commence before 2011 is out.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Glenn Noronha
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Saptarshi Mondal
