It
all began with member Ashok asking which ones should come to Geneva
in March for the premiere of the new and fourth generation
BMW M5 of the E60-generation. This was in the autumn of
2003 and all of us have seen spypics of the upcoming M5 since well
over a year, with as good pictures and videos of the M5 even at
the Nurburgring with Mr Richter, a BMW M chief of development himself
behind the wheel, followed (far behind of course) by an Audi
RS6.
Upto
a few days to the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March it was
very uncertain for us enthusiasts if the M5 should be launched at
all. Some spy pics were shot near BMW facilities in Oxnard, California
by a board member c4m5 of the M5 and M6
and he mentioned it sounded just like a Formula 1 car.
A
few calls to BMW Germany as well as BMW
M in Garching did not disclose any new details, other than
BMW is a very polite and correct company, and are returning calls
promptly. Someone suggestes that we would not be surprised but no
new regarding the M5 and the only news they had was a launch in
the late autumn of 2004. Poor us, no news when there is Kompressor
V8 AMG with 476 HP on the streets as well as biturbo Audis
with 450 HP when the very car that started the segment will have
to wait a few months until it is launched.
So then just a day or two before the launch BMW -either accidently
or deliberatly- showed two small resolution pics of the new "Concept
M5" at their website bmw.com. It was shown at a page presenting
the news for the Geneva Salon. Shortly after it was discovered by
a member, BMW changed the URL of the pictures but did not delete
them. A very interesting move that also was appreciated that they
kept the pictures up. Also the same day the Geneva Salon presented
the displayed cars and in the BMW stand there was one space reserved
for a "new concept car". Case solved, the new M5 will
be launched at Geneva. The hotels weren't booked in vain!
Additionaly
British Autocar reported this, but I doubt it.
The news wasn't really "leaked" but rather published,
and the image was always hosted at bmw.com. In
anycase, we were very grateful for the launch.
Below
is the official press release and the official
hi-res pictures that you could get a day before the salon. Alot
of things on the press-release surprised me -mostly postively I
might add- but what was truly surprising was the 0-200 km/h time
in predicted "...being reached in
just 13 seconds" is truly an acheivment for a rearwheel-driven,
front-engined four-door car!
* The world's first V10 high-revving engine in a saloon
car.
* The world's first 7-speed SMG in a saloon car.
* The best power-to-weight ratio in its market segment.
Spread
over three generations of production, more than 35,000 units were
built - initially manually at the BMW M plant in Munich and later
at the 5 Series assembly line in Dingolfing. These units were then
sold worldwide.
The
secret of the BMW M5's popularity has always been the successful
synthesis of unobtrusive yet powerful appearance, combined with
a high-performance power unit - a sports car featuring Formula 1
technology and at the same time a saloon car offering premium comfort.
In
terms of driving dynamics, the BMW M5 had always set standards in
its segment. It not only excelled due to its high performance, but
due to the way in which M power was produced and developed. It appeared
as if this first-
rate car's inexhaustible power reserves had created a totally new
dimension in effortlessness.
BMW
M5 parameters: Performance, style and driving fun.
Due
to the change of model within the 5 Series, the BMW M product portfolio
is currently presented without a BMW M5, even though the demand
for such a car has never diminished. For this reason, BMW M designers
have begun designing a possible successor based on the new BMW 5
Series. This car is a far-reaching concept on an appealing subject:
the BMW Concept M5.
Such a car could undoubtedly serve as a stimulus and offer solutions
for a future series-production vehicle.
Totally
in keeping with the high demands of our clientele, whose main reasons
for purchasing a car are performance, style and driving fun, the
BMW M5 Concept makes its living out of contrasts: the principle
of optimal performance wrapped in a discreet but, by comparison
with the 5 Series, distinctive body design.
When
seen alongside the new 5 Series, the exterior design of the
BMW Concept M5 has its very own uniqueness. Modified front and rear
air dams and side sills, a slightly lower body, side air vents,
an exclusive wheel design as well as the four M-type tailpipes,
visually accentuate the vehicle's claim to being a sports car.
The
first V10 high-revving power unit in a saloon car.
The
heart of every M automobile, and that includes the BMW Concept M5,
must be its exclusive high-performance power unit with high-revving
air intake technology, an engine which sets a benchmark in this
field. With this
engine, BMW M is presenting a masterpiece in power unit technology
that undoubtedly has just what it takes: the figure 5 is predominant
with a 5.0-litre capacity producing around 500 bhp (368 kW) and
a maximum torque of at least 500 Nm, these being the kind of figures
BMW M considers worthy of a possible new M5.
And
the figure ten will also gain in significance, as, for the first
time in
BMW history, a series-production saloon car is to be powered by
a
ten-cylinder internal combustion engine, the sound and power of
which is closely related to the engine currently providing monstrous
power to the BMW Williams Formula 1 racing car, without a doubt
the most powerful car
on the starting grid.
The
engine powering the BMW Concept M5 should be in a position to mobilise
the enormous power reserves required to assist this unique sports
saloon car in achieving a remarkable driving performance. Engineers
at BMW M envisage the car accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to
62 mph) over the classic distance in well under 5 seconds, the 200
km/h mark being reached in just 13 seconds.
It
is not power alone that makes an M power unit so unique.
The
technology of this newly-developed ten-cylinder engine should not
be perceivable by single-dimensional power or sheer performance
alone, but first and foremost by the method of achieving such performance.
M power featured in the new BMW Concept M5 will once again rise
to the occasion and become a perfect example of what is technically
feasible and appropriate.
This
is evident not only in the extremely appealing design of a BMW high-performance
engine. Needless to say, this specially developed BMW M engine incorporates
typical features such as high-pressure VANOS, individual throttle
butterflies, engine electronics designed by our own engineers and
based on knowledge gained from Formula 1 racing as well as traverse
force-regulated oil supply.
BMW
M engineers would not focus on sheer torque alone, but first and
foremost on engine power, a sign of effective utilisation of the
undoubtedly very substantial performance potential that is available.
Moreover,
the BMW Concept M5 stands out from others by having the most innovative
drive concept in its class. Thanks to a superior gearbox solution,
the driver can benefit from a completely new 7-speed SMG, a rapid
manual gear-shift and, if required, comfortable cruising. This piece
of technical mastery also has its origins in Formula 1 synergism.
Optimum
driving behaviour, whether in town or on the Nürburgring.
The
designers of the BMW Concept M5 were, of course, eager to succeed
against competition in building the lightest car, as BMW wishes
to continue pursuing the concept of intelligent lightweight construction
in order to achieve a high level of longitudinal and lateral dynamics.
As seen on the new 5 and 6 Series, BMW has already presented an
innovative example of a lightweight front end construction. BMW
M engineers aspired to achieve the best power-to-weight ratio in
this market segment, thereby fully utilising their abundant experience
in suspension design.
Based
on the excellent all-aluminium suspension of the new BMW 5 Series,
with the addition of some elements from the new BMW 7 Series, they
have designed the BMW Concept M5 for maximum comfort when driving
for longer periods on motorways or in stop-and-go city traffic,
as well as for putting on a good show when racing round the north
loop of the Nürburgring. In addition to a specially tuned Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC), a variable M-type limited-slip differential,
which we are already familiar with from the BMW M3, ensures optimum
driving behaviour in all situations.
The
9½ inch light-alloy rear wheels, manufactured especially
for the BMW Concept M5, boast specially designed, extra wide 285/35
ZR 19 tyres. At the front there are 255/40 ZR 19 tyres on 8½
inch wheels, controlled by a newly designed Servotronic steering
which is fitted as standard. A reinforced breaking system developed
especially for the BMW Concept M5 enables the driver to fully control
the engine's exceptional performance.
Equipment
in a class of its own.
Needless
to say, the BMW Concept M5 also offers scores of ideas for equipping
the car with particularly exclusive and sporty options. Without
going into detail right now, it can be said that the special solutions
required to satisfy the demanding customer's preferences in this
particular market segment have been realised.
When
exactly the concept of a series-produced M5 will be realized cannot
be confirmed at the present time. However, it can be assumed that
a successor to the extremely popular BMW M5, based on the BMW Concept
M5 now being exhibited, could possibly go on sale during the course
of the year 2004.
High-res:
http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/1.jpg
High
res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/2.jpg
High-res:
http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/3.jpg
High-res:
http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/4.jpg
High-res:
http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/5.jpg
