All-new BMW M5 super-sedan launched at MIAS

April 18,2012

Asian Carmakers Corporation had one of the more audacious booths at the 2012 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). It was not just in the design, a huge black structure that at once enclosed the cars and enticed visitors to come in for a closer look. It was also the structure’s content, an exclusive line-up of all M cars. Front and center was the all-new M5, flown in from Munich for MIAS.

The new M5 features a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine good for 560bhp and 680Nm, all channeled to the rear wheels. This is a four-door midsize sedan with supercar performance figures: 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 13 seconds, and electronically limited 250 km/h top speed. Despite the increased performance: 10% more power and 30% more torque than the previous M5, fuel consumption is cut by more than 30%. A seven-speed M double-clutch transmission takes care of the shifting, with paddles mounted on the steering wheel. A limited-slip differential helps manage the torque, and stability control helps keep the car on the road.

The M5’s exterior design is nearly as inconspicuous as the first-generation 1984 model. Larger air intakes, flared wheel arches, rear spoiler and 19-inch wheels are the most obvious indicators that this is not your banker’s 5 Series. Will we miss the previous-generation’s racing-engine-in-all-but-name 5.0 liter V10? Yes, but not much, we suspect.

Here’s more from BMW on the other M family members:

With the original 1988 BMW M3 as its inspiration, the 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe combines the raw capabilities of a racecar with the agility, versatility, and seating position of a compact BMW Coupe to create a pure Ultimate Driving Machine. In doing so, the 1 Series M Coupe continues the eigenwillig tradition of BMW M. With its latest two-door model, BMW M is illustrating its ability to build racecar performance into a small car, capable of everyday use.

The BMW M3 Convertible comes for the first time with an eight-cylinder power unit. Displacing 3,999 cc, the new V8 develops maximum output of 420 hp, together with peak torque of 400 Newton-meters. Perhaps an even more outstanding fact is that some 85 per cent of the engine’s peak torque remains available throughout the enormous speed range of 6, 500 rpm.

The eight-cylinder nevertheless owes its most striking and distinctive forte to the high-speed engine concept so typical of BMW M: Revving all the way to 8,400 rpm, the new power unit offers supreme muscle and performance at all times. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels by a six-speed manual gearbox interacting with brand-new final drive. This combination alone provides an acceleration and power potential reminiscent in its spontaneity and endurance to the dynamic potential of a thoroughbred-racing car.

The BMW M6 combines supercar presence with Grand Touring potential by taking lightweight design solutions from the M3 CSL. Joining an exclusive club, the M6, with model code E63, set a new performance benchmark for a production car. The beauty of the M6 is also its ability to comfortably crush kilometers on across-country cruise.

Powered by the same 4,999cc engine that set new standards in the previous generation M5, the 507bhp power output ensures that the M6 maintains the M car tradition of breaking the 100bhp per liter benchmark. Peak power is developed at 7,750rpm with the red line set at 8,250rpm. Peak torque of 520Nm is developed at 6,100rpm of which 450Nm is available from just 3,500rpm.
The BMW X5 M is the first all-wheel-drive model to offer the supreme performance, dynamic driving features, athletic design, and premium quality of a typical BMW M Car. It is powered by a newly developed V8 high-performance engine delivering 555 hp at an engine speed range between of 6,000 rpm
from an engine capacity of 4,395 cc.

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