M5 BMW M5 F10 (spy pics & info)

[Deleted member 1071]

Now that we can finally leave this eventful albeit somewhat commotion laden product introduction behind us, I'll be looking forward to BMWs' upcoming product presentations. Bring on the 6er Gran Coupe !!

I do like the new M5. I'm sure that its' performance specs will be more than formidable. Prefer it over an M-B E63 AMG or Maserati Quattroporte, for example.

 

[SKY]

I must say I´m not impressive by the M parts at all. I would have prefer the car to have side skirts and different hood as the M3, but this car have not. The front is fantastic, but again, it´s the F10 with the M3 front bumper, which makes it less special. But it´s the rear what enoys me. I don´t like the diffusor. Looks aftermarket, too many lines. The E60 M5 one was simple and aggressive, but this is not.

It´s a very nice car because the F10 design is almost perfect, but the M treatment doesn´t make it look much better, as it was the E60 case.

The same engine than the 550i and a not so different desing makes this M5 less special than the E60 to my eyes.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

I must say I´m not impressive by the M parts at all. I would have prefer the car to have side skirts and different hood as the M3, but this car have not. The front is fantastic, but again, it´s the F10 with the M3 front bumper, which makes it less special. But it´s the rear what enoys me. I don´t like the diffusor. Looks aftermarket, too many lines. The E60 M5 one was simple and aggressive, but this is not.

It´s a very nice car because the F10 design is almost perfect, but the M treatment doesn´t make it look much better, as it was the E60 case.

The same engine than the 550i and a not so different desing makes this M5 less special than the E60 to my eyes.

Wise words.

 

[Kowalski]

I don't think a tuned 550i M sport will be able to keep up with the new M5.

 

[Patros]

M3 Touring anyone?

... just me...

 

[EMpower]

Hmmm...I know that spy shots a little grainy, but to my eyes these are 2 subtly different rear diffuser's.

i like the diffuser on blue car. It should be CF or black

 

[Betty Swollocks]

I don't think a tuned 550i M sport will be able to keep up with the new M5.

I don't think many people would think it would either. I think what SKYSONY is saying is that the difference will be too small and the driving experience too similar. (i.e. both are forced induction twin turbos), not that they will be the same.

But, none of us know for sure I suppose.

i like the diffuser on blue car. It should be CF or black

They look identical to me. What makes the blue one appear to be different is the shadow hiding the lower section of the diffuser making it appear not to be there.

 

[SKY]

I don't think a tuned 550i M sport will be able to keep up with the new M5.

I don´t think it neither. I´m saying you will pay a considerable extra for an M5, and, without looking at the performance numbers, the styling must be different enough.

Anyway, it is different, but I would have prefered it to be a different even bigger, like with the M3 and the E92 M Pack.

 

[Tarek]

I don't like the design of the rear bumper at all..

 

[bmwownage]

The car looks good, very subtle for such a performance car.
Can anyone tell if the wheel arc is wider than the standard F10? The E60 M5 certainly had a wider wheel arc but this looks pretty much the same? so the front track is probably the same width as the standard car...which makes it look even more subtle than the E60.. Is the standard F10 wide enough or what? I would've thought M would add some more grip over the standard car by wideneing the front track at least?
I hope the production model gets a bit of black stuff in the rear diffuser..it looks a little weird with everything in body colour, it's like molding a piece of metal into different shapes for no reason.
Otherwise it looks great..can see that BMW doesn't want to go MB's way to make their top sports model full of holes and angles everywhere... looks less special perhaps but this is a very special car. although the engine lets it down, knowing its predecessor had a NA V10 that screams! So, I would be happy with a standard 528i.

 

[klier]

The car looks good, very subtle for such a performance car.
Can anyone tell if the wheel arc is wider than the standard F10? The E60 M5 certainly had a wider wheel arc but this looks pretty much the same?

M5 has a wider track both front and rear. Browse back in this very thread if you want to see the proof yourself.

I don't think many people would think it would either. I think what SKYSONY is saying is that the difference will be too small and the driving experience too similar. (i.e. both are forced induction twin turbos), not that they will be the same.

But, none of us know for sure I suppose.

So E46 330i is too similar to E46 M3 because both are NA engines? Okay...

E39 M5 was extremely subtle too, the F10 simply follows this tradition. And having a turbo doesn't suddenly make it a 550i with more power. Such nonsense.

 

[SCOTT27]

If you compare M today to say M circa 2000 to which we had the M5 , we were about to launch the M3 and we had the Z-M's.
That look of the M car in how the aerodynamics were determined with the shape of the intakes has progressed, so today's 5er with M-Sport Packet has very much a relationship to the E39 M5 in appearance as does the E92 M-Sport with the E46 M3 Whilst the F10 and E92 Respectively do not, due to their identity by using a form of more streamlined aerodynamics.

I remember the reaction to these , The first renders of the M3 Coupe and how people were horrified that that clean look exemplified by the E46 was being discarded in favour of the new aerodynamic package.
Then there was the rear end which took a " last minute" redesign before initial design freeze

But with the progressive stage of M they still keep that "understated" visual appearance in which customers like the idea of a usable performance car as long as it didn't go to extreme's with the aerodynamics and applications.

With the next generation of M car we have to find a balance and progress the current look without taking it to total extremes of aerodynamic packet design.

Now it is time to find the balance for the next progression , and the first symbol of that progression is actually the BMW 1er M Coupe as the M5 was well underway before the 1er M Coupe was suggested.
Areodynamics with the purpose of aiding efficiency is very much evident on the 1M and it is something that will be implemented into further models.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

So E46 330i is too similar to E46 M3 because both are NA engines? Okay...

You form an opinion at the time on what's available and what's being offered by BMW. At the time the E46 M3 was a great car and people didn't know any different.

But People expect progress. With the E60 M5 you had a UNIQUE engine. An engine which had no relation to a standard BMW. With the E92 M3 you have a UNIQUE engine. An engine which has no relation to a standard BMW. To now go backwards and offer the most expensive M5 yet with an engine which is just a modified engine from the 550i is what the issue is.

E39 M5 was extremely subtle too, the F10 simply follows this tradition. And having a turbo doesn't suddenly make it a 550i with more power. Such nonsense.

Stop being so damn arrogant.

 

[NarutoRamen]

So E46 330i is too similar to E46 M3 because both are NA engines? Okay...

While I agree with you, there is one big difference. FI is MUCH easier to tune than NA engine, and usually cheaper. So in this case, just a couple hundred bucks of ECU reflash will bring the HP/Torque figures up significantly. Add to that someone who knows what they are doing and only a few grand, and you're looking at power figures as high if not higher than the new M5. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I spent my misguided youth (my own fault) in the tuner world, so I know what I'm talking about.

Of course, this doesn't translate to it outdoing the M5 on track or anything, or even as refined as one. But when it comes to a highway roll runs, you might be looking at M5 having a REALLY tough time.

Just my .02

 

[Zafiro]

This is the official Press Release from M5 E60 in year 2004. I wonder what the new Press release are going to say. First with what?


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.


Full pressrelease: OFFICIAL M5 concept screens!!! OMFG!!!! - Page 12 - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

 

[Thomas]

You form an opinion at the time on what's available and what's being offered by BMW. At the time the E46 M3 was a great car and people didn't know any different.

But People expect progress. With the E60 M5 you had a UNIQUE engine. An engine which had no relation to a standard BMW. With the E92 M3 you have a UNIQUE engine. An engine which has no relation to a standard BMW. To now go backwards and offer the most expensive M5 yet with an engine which is just a modified engine from the 550i is what the issue is.

Progress is all well and good but why do you think BMW have taken a backward step because of their choice of engine?

Surely it's the results that must count above all other.

 

[Centurion]

Of course, this doesn't translate to it outdoing the M5 on track or anything, or even as refined as one. But when it comes to a highway roll runs, you might be looking at M5 having a REALLY tough time.

Just my .02

I can already smell the Axe stench from 550i owners who will work on turning their cars into M5 eaters. Will it make the M5 less desirable? Now? Pure straight line speed has never been the key reason for buying an M5 let alone any reputable sports car. Just because the engine will make use of forced induction doesn't mean that it can't be exquisite. Much ignored components inside the engine, exhaust system, gearbox and drive axle alone can make a staggering difference.

There are no doubts in my mind that the F10 M5 will be larger than the sum of its parts and that the 550i will in no way be a substitute for any other than straight speed junkies.

 

[Tumbo]

Sorry... but this says nothing WOW to me...

Engine is probably superb.
But for now, I like the E60 much much more. That was a monster!
This...looks like a normal 5series....

 

[Gene]

You form an opinion at the time on what's available and what's being offered by BMW. At the time the E46 M3 was a great car and people didn't know any different.

But People expect progress. With the E60 M5 you had a UNIQUE engine. An engine which had no relation to a standard BMW. With the E92 M3 you have a UNIQUE engine. An engine which has no relation to a standard BMW. To now go backwards and offer the most expensive M5 yet with an engine which is just a modified engine from the 550i is what the issue is.

Stop being so damn arrogant.

Personally I think your logic is flawed. I think from a progress point of view, people expect a better car - be it a faster car, better handling car or more advanced car. They don't expect everything to be brand spanking new or redesigned from scratch. I mean why invent something new for the sakes of inventing something new? Does the wheel need inventing again just because you can? That to me would be a waste of resources and time, not to mention all the reliability woes than come with brand new bits and bobs.

As far as I'm concerned, the car just needs to be better that the E60 M5 in all respects to be considered a worthy successor and to be considered successful. Whether that turns out to be true is something we're just going to have to wait for.

That actually lends to my second observation. Some have said the car is not aggressive enough, or doesn't differentiate itself enough from the standard car, yet I'm sure those people would say they are believers of form follows function, which to my understanding is BMW M's philosophy also. I'm 100% sure BMW M did inhouse aerodynamic testing on all the exterior parts of the car, so tell me why would you bolt of extra vents, creases and chunks onto the car for the sake of doing it? How exactly does that make you any different from say a 'ricer'? In my opinion, the lack of visual differences of the M5 to the standard car goes to show how well designed the standard car is. Come to think of it I'm also sure BMW will offer more aggressive performance parts for the car, which will help to bump up that price nicely .

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Progress is all well and good but why do you think BMW have taken a backward step because of their choice of engine?

Sorry if I'm not making myself clear.

I think BMW have taken a backwards step in their choice of engine because it's too similar to the standard BMW's.

E60 M5. V10. Only available in M5/M6. V10 configuration not available in standard BMW. Strikes me as worth the asking price alone.

E92 M3. V8. Only available in M3. V8 configuration not available in standard BMW. Strikes me as worth the asking price alone.

F10 M5? Engine basically a tuned version of the engine available in the 550i.

Right.

Surely it's the results that must count above all other.

Define "results".

For me I wouldn't care whether the 0-60 time was any better. It's how you get there that counts.