BMW M5 steps away from naturally aspirated engine

All the previous BMW M5s were known for their electric performance throughout the rev band which was coupled with excellent ride and handling that made the M5 drive like a sports car without compromising the comfort and luxury of a big executive sedan. The fifth generation promises to do all that and turn it up a notch. While that seems anything but natural according to the laws of evolution there is one definitive characteristic that has been altered about the M5 BMW, the engine, more specifically the way the engine breaths. 

Unlike previous M5s that came with a naturally aspirated engine which delivered that electric response a petrol engine always does, the new car comes with a twin turbocharged engine. While it is true that a turbo charger increases airflow into the engine thereby increasing combustion to raise power delivery, but turbo charged engines have a flaw which has been around ever since the conception of the turbo charger, its called turbo lag. BMW say they have overcome this problem to an almost negligible extent with their new twin scroll turbocharger. The new M5 is said to deliver lag free power delivery from just 1500 rpm. 

The engine in question is a 4.4 liter V8 which is smaller than the 5.0 liter V10 engine in the previous M5. But this new engine with its twin turbochargers produces 552 bhp, which is 52 more than the previous car and 680 Nm of torque which is 160 Nm over the previous car. All this firepower means that the new car is the most powerful M5 ever put into series production. The car goes from standstill to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds which is .1 seconds faster than the car it replaces and onwards to an electronically limited top speed of 248 km/h, ofcourse one can opt for the 'M' driver's package which ditches the limiter for a top speed of 305 km/h. An interesting fact about the previous M5 is that if you had the limiter removed it would go up to a top speed of 326 km/h. Also, the car previous car had a thumping great 5.0 liter V10 which revved to just over 8000 rpm while the new engine revs to 7200 rpm.

Now, you have to keep in mind that the new M5 has been built keeping in mind concerns about the environment. Hence the smaller turbocharged engine with the turbo chargers and catalytic converter crammed between the two banks of cylinders. BMW’s seven speed M Double Clutch transmission combined with Auto Start-Stop system and Brake Energy Regeneration have managed to reduce the new M5’s fuel consumption by 30% over the previous car. 

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The gearbox can be operated manually in (S) mode and (D) mode will deliver automatic gear changes. The three modes of the gearbox namely, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus regulate gear change ferocity as your mood might suit. But the new M5 has not just been designed to be an executive performance sedan. Like all other M5s comfort and practicality is of equal importance. As a result there is a low speed assistance function which keeps the car moving smoothly in traffic with just a light touch of the accelerator pedal. 

The Fifth Generation M5 comes with BMW’s Active M differential, which is a multi-plate limited slip differential designed to put down the maximum amount of power generated by the engine onto the road. Armed to the teeth with all its various braking functions such as ABS, DSC, Cornering Brake Control, (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Brake Assistant, Brake Fade Compensation, Brake Drying function and Start-off assistant the rear wheel drive performance car has been designed to be as safe as possible. There is one button called the ‘M’ button which can turn off all driver aids and let the driver enjoy what the M5 BMW is all about, an excellent driver’s car. 

The new M5’s chassis has been developed from motor sport for optimum weight distribution between the front and rear wheels of the car. The suspension too has been designed to be light and strong and has been developed from motorsport and tested at the Nurburgring for razor sharp control on the road and on the race track. 

All BMW M5 cars have been excellent drivers’ cars and each subsequent car has upped the ante for the executive performance sedan. Ever since its birth the only car that could beat an M5 in terms of driver appeal was a new M5. Keeping with the times the new car steps away from the breed with its turbocharged engine, not everyone will favour the move but the new M5 like its predecessors is a properly good car. 

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