BMW M5: What we know so far

The all-new F90 BMW M5 is set to be unveiled tomorrow. Touted to be a fitting rival to the Mercedes AMG-E63, this latest entry from the BMW stables has been officially teased, but only under camouflage. There were also a couple of vague videos, but they too revealed very little detailing. Fortunately for us, prior to its online debut, a few images of the super sedan had also surfaced online. Now, in the run-up to the actual unveiling, here is everything we know so far about the F90 M5.

Sixth generation:

The M5 was first introduced in 1985 and the upcoming one will be the sixth generation model. The first incarnation of the M5 was based on the E28 535i chassis and was the fastest production sedan at that time. It was followed by the E34 M5 in 1989 which was replaced by the famous E39 M5 in 1999. The E39 debuted the V8 motor for the first time in the M5. The E60 M5 was introduced in 2005 with a fire breathing 5.0-litre V10 engine. It was consistently regarded as the benchmark for super high-performance sedans in its class. The current generation F10 M5 went back to a turbocharged V8 with 560 horsepower.

Power output:

According to the reports, the new generation M5 will churn out more than 600 horsepower, making it the most powerful M5 till date. It will carry forward the updated version of the 4.4-litre twin turbocharged V8 from the current generation M5. Transmission would be a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Sadly there will be no manual transmission on offer. Torque output will be rated ‘significantly more than the current car’s 680Nm’. With power figures exceeding 600bhp, the M5 will match the output of its closest rival, the E63 S AMG.

xDrive system:

The F90 M5 will be BMW’s first non-SUV M car with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which comes as a big surprise for the purists. After all, in its 32 years of existence, the M5 was famous for its rear-wheel-drive layout. However, the German carmaker assures us that this system does not tamper with the soul of the sports saloon. 

Nevertheless, the xDrive has been configured as a rear-biased setup. The front wheels come into play only when the rear wheels aren’t able to handle any more power and start losing traction. There are three levels of adjustability for the xDrive modes - 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD. Purists, of course, can opt for the classical rear-wheel-drive setup by deactivating the all-wheel-drive system.

New platform and features:

The G30 5 Series sedan is based on the same new CLAR platform as the flagship 7 Series. It makes the M550i variant more potent than the F10 M5. Therefore, we expect a ferocious performance from the upcoming M5 with 0-100 kmph likely to be achieved under 3.5 seconds. The top speed will be restricted to 250 kmph in typical German performance car tradition. The M5 will also boast of some advanced safety and creature comforts apart from the autonomous technology.