Spied: BMW’s M Division Hard at Work Honing the Most Powerful M5 Ever

If the thought of a twin turbo charged M5 rocketing to 60mph in just 4.4 seconds doesn't get you excited I don't know what will. While I'm still not 100% on board with turboed M cars, this does sounds like a blast to drive!

Monster M5 Spied

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BMW’s M Division hard at work honing most powerful production M5 ever at the Nurburgring in Germany

The most powerful M5 ever to go on sale is getting closer to reality. Our spies have trapped this mule at the Nurburgring in Germany which shows the dimensions of the deep front splitter, and reveals the giant brakes and trademark quad exhausts in all their glory.

Downsizing is the name of the game, so the old naturally aspirated 507bhp V10 has been ditched in favour of a new, smaller unit. The newcomer will be the first M saloon to feature a turbocharged engine. The M5 will use the innovative direct injection 4.4-litre V8 from the X5 M, which features two turbos nestling in the 90-degree vee of the engine block.

In the big SUV the unit cranks out 547bhp, but in the new saloon, the unit will be boosted to around 572bhp. But the biggest change is that massive increase in torque – the old unit produced 521Nm at very high revs, but the new car will have around 650Nm, making it more flexible to drive, more of the time.

Performance will be seriously impressive. Thanks to a sophisticated launch control programme, the M5 will sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 155mph. however, with the optional M Drivers Package, the limit will be raised to 188mph.

As well as the boost in power, the new engine will be much cleaner than the unit it replaces. The internal target for the car is a 30 per cent improvement on the current car’s 19.6mpg and 344g/km CO2 emissions.

The engine is connected to an uprated version of the current M3’s DCT seven-speed twin clutch gearbox which feeds power to the rear wheels. The M5 gets an electronically-controlled limited slip diff, and Dynamic Performance Control, which sends extra power to the outer wheel when cornering to reduce understeer.

Handling prowess will be ensured by the use of lightweight materials, including carbon fibre, and thoroughly retuned active dampers. The M5 will get a revised version of the new 5 Series’ electric power steering too.

Expect the new M5 to make its debut alongside the new X3 SUV at the Paris Motor Show in October, with the first cars arriving early in 2011.

Source - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au..._m5_spied.html