The new BMW M5

1. World premiere of the new BMW M5. (Short story) 3 2. The new V10
engine in the BMW M5: A masterpiece in engine construction.
10 3. The new sequential M transmission: Shifting gears even faster
with the seven-speed SMG gearbox. 21 4. The
BMW M5 engine production: Engine construction at its best.
25 5. The suspension of the BMW M5: Ensuring a high degree of agility.
28 6. Bodywork, design, equipment: Safe, challenging, luxurious. 35 7.
Production of the BMW M5: Exclusivity off the Line. 42 8. Market
Position of the BMW M5: The Executive Express. 45 9. The History of the
BMW M5: Opening up a New Class. 46 10.Technical Specifications. 49
1.World premiere of the new BMW M5. (Short story) The ultimate in
sports saloon motoring has got a name: M5. This finest 5 Series vehicle
is the most powerful of all time: five litres of cubic capacity, ten
cylinders, a maximum output of 507 bhp (373 kW), a peak torque of 520
Newton metres and engine speeds redlining at 8,000 rpm, these are
figures that speak for themselves. In an unprecedented way, these
figures blur the lines between a car for everyday use and a vehicle for
ambitious motor sport racing. A successful recipe for two decades:
power without overstatement. With its performance figures, the
fourth-generation M5 once again sets the benchmark in the segment of
powerful sports saloons, a niche which the first M5 carved for itself
back in 1984. During the last 20 years, this first M5 and all its
successors have made their mark, always setting the standard as a
perfect symbiosis of a comfortable, elegant saloon for everyday use,
abundant output delivered by a powerful engine and ultimate sportiness.
With sales figures exceeding 20,000, the M5 has proved to be an
economically successful concept which combines prodigious performance
with understatement, a basic feature of all M automobiles. This
principle reaches its culmination in the new M5: this "extreme
athlete" with its subtle appearance and the seemingly endless
power of its ten-cylinder high-revving engine, which interacts
perfectly with the seven-speed SMG gearbox, introduces the driver to
completely new dimensions of effortlessness. To put it in a nutshell:
in its class, which it shares with top-class competitors, the M5 excels
due to the most innovative drive concept, the best power-to-weight
ratio, supreme handling and excellent everyday driving qualities. It is
a fully roadworthy saloon with the heart of an athlete, a sports car
which is perfectly suited for everyday motoring. The new M5 skilfully
combines these two virtues. First high-revving V10 engine to be
featured in a regular-production saloon. The V10 is the only
high-revving power unit to be featured in a series-production car.
Featured in the most powerful production car within the BMW model
family, this new engine once again sets the benchmark in its class.
There is, however, more to it than pure performance. What is important
for M automobiles is acceleration and driving dynamics, the latter
which is dependent on the actual forward thrust and the vehicle's
weight. The drive forces at the driven wheels are significantly
influenced by the engine torque and the total ratio. The high-revving
concept caters for an optimum transmission and rear-axle ratio, thus
guaranteeing an impressive forward thrust. The perfect choice:
high-revving concept. For the BMW M engineers the compact, high-revving
normally aspirated engine was the ideal choice. With a red line of
8,250 rpm, the ten-cylinder engine has ventured into terrain which has
so far been reserved for red-blooded racing cars. Compared to the
previous M5 eight-cylinder engine, performance has increased by more
than 25 percent. The M5 has also surpassed the magical 100 bhp per
litre limit, its specific output being on par with that of racing cars.
A masterpiece in engine construction. The two five-cylinder banks of the
V10 are arranged at an angle of 90° to achieve a mass balance of
the crankshaft drive, which is optimised for low vibration and
increased comfort. For reasons of stiffness and due to the high loads
resulting from combustion pressure, engine speed and vibrations, a
bedplate design has been chosen for the crankcase, the first-ever
application in a production V engine by BMW. For an optimum alignment of
the crankshaft, grey-cast iron inserts have been integrated into the
aluminium bedplate, which also serve to enhance acoustics, increase
vibrational comfort and ensure a high oil supply rate. The extremely
stiff crankshaft is supported by six bearings. High-pressure bi-VANOS
and individual throttle butterflies. The bi-VANOS variable valve timing
featured in the new M5 engine ensures an optimum charge cycle, thus
helping to achieve extremely short adjustment times. This means in
practice: increased performance, an improved torque curve, optimum
responsiveness, lower consumption and fewer emissions. Each cylinder
has its own throttle, a feature typical of racing cars. Throttle control
is fully electronic and cylinder bank specific. Dual exhaust system
made of stainless steel. The exhaust system is made of seamless
stainless steel and has a dual-flow design all the way to the
silencers. The exhaust gases finally leave the system through four
tailpipes which are what make the rear end of the M vehicles so
unmistakable. The exhaust system complies with the European EU4 and the
US LEV2 emission standards. The engine control module: the first of
its kind in the world. The MS S65 engine management system is the
central factor behind the V10's outstanding performance and emission
data. This engine management system is unparalleled in its package
density. Its processors are the most powerful ones which are currently
approved for use in automobiles, as high engine speeds and
comprehensive management and control tasks demand the utmost from this
system. Highlight in engine management: ionic current technology. The
ionic current technology featured by the engine management unit is a
technological highlight which serves to detect engine knock, misfiring
and combustion misses. Utilising the spark plug in each cylinder, this
system helps to pinpoint engine knock, to check for correct ignition
and to detect any ignition misses. Thus, the spark plug has a dual
function - as an actuator for the ignition and as a sensor for
monitoring the combustion process. Seven-speed SMG gearbox conveys M
power to the tarmac. The high-revving concept only succeeds in
combination with a gearbox which translates the torque available to the
engine, by means of a short overall transmission ratio, into optimised
forward thrust. The seven-speed SMG gearbox is precisely the right
transmission to ideally convey the V10 engine's power via the drive
train to the wheels. BMW M is the first manufacturer worldwide to offer
a seven-speed sequential gearbox with drivelogic function. Even more
highly perfected than the previous six-speed transmission, the
seven-speed SMG gearbox enables manual gear selection with ultra-short
shifting times as well as comfortable cruising thanks to automated gear
selection. The purpose of the additional seventh gear is to reduce
engine speed and torque gaps . New SMG gearbox's speed up by 20
percent. With the seven-speed SMG gearbox, gears can be changed using
the gearshift lever on the centre console or the paddles on the
steering wheel. Compared to the previous SMG transmission, changing
gears is 20 percent faster with the new SMG generation. Never before
has it been quicker to change gears with a transmission of this kind.
The advantage for the M5 driver: Gear change is smooth and accomplished
at a speed impossible to reach even by the most proficient driver, thus
making the inevitable power flow interruptions when changing gears
hardly noticeable. The M5 delivers an almost jerk-free performance when
accelerating from a standstill to its top speed. Drivelogic: the driver
determines the SMG's characteristics for changing gears. Thanks to the
SMG's drivelogic function, the driver can choose from eleven gear
change options, which enable him to adapt the SMG's characteristics to
his very own style of motoring. Six of these programs can be
pre-selected in the sequential manual gearbox mode (S mode), the
spectrum ranging from balanced dynamic to very sporty. With the gearbox
in the S mode, the driver always shifts gears manually. Whenever the
driver activates the Launch Control function, the SMG Drivelogic shifts
gears shortly before the maximum engine speed is reached at precisely
the right moment and with optimum slip until the M5 reaches its top
speed. In the Drive (D mode) automatic gearshift mode, the transmission
shifts the seven gears automatically, depending on the program
selected, the driving situation, the road speed and the position of the
accelerator pedal. SMG for increased safety and comfort. The
seven-speed SMG gearbox not only supports the driver in achieving motor
sports performance, but also offers scores of safety features. In
critical situations, when the driver shifts down on a slippery surface,
for example, the gearbox opens the clutch in the fraction of a second
in order to prevent the M5 from swerving out of control in the event of
excessive drag torque at the driven wheels. Further functions are the
climbing, which prevents the car from rolling backwards during hill
starts as well as the hill detection, which adjusts the shift points on
gradients and descents. This prevents gear hunting when going uphill.
When driving downhill, the hill detection holds the lower gears for
longer in order to make effective use of the engine's braking power.
Maximum driving pleasure. The interaction of the V10 engine and the
seven-speed SMG gearbox results in a level of performance, which has so
far been inconceivable for series-production saloons. Above all, there
is one thing the M5 gives to its driver: driving pleasure at its best.
Compared to the previous M5, the current model comes up trumps in all
performance and fun disciplines: it accomplishes the 0 to 62 mph sprint
in 4,7 seconds and reaches the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark after a mere 15
seconds to go on to the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h
(155 mph). A glance at the speedometer reveals where this power package
would head for if maximum speed was not electronically limited: an
awe-inspiring 330 km/h (205 mph). The Nürburgring serves as a
test track. Compared to all direct competitors, the interaction of
actual forward thrust and a low vehicle weight is a strong argument in
favour of the new M5. Also in this respect, the M5 sets the benchmark
and leaves its competitors far behind. An undisputed gauge of driving
dynamics is the northern loop of the legendary Nürburgring race
track. For decades, the world's most demanding race track has been the
perfect place of separating the wheat from the chaff. There is no other
place where the interaction of vehicle components when taken to the
limits can be observed as well as on the Nürburgring's northern
loop. With lap times of approximately eight minutes, the M5 can hold
its own and is a worthy competitor of thoroughbred sports cars, leaving
its competitors far behind. By the way: traditionally, all M vehicles
are tested there. M suspension based on the 5 Series: the icing on the
cake. The aforementioned lap time demonstrates that the M5 can be
extremely sporty. Although the suspension of the basic 5 Series model
is undoubtedly very good, such a record performance with respect to
dynamics would not be possible. This is why the M5 is also totally
unique with regard to its suspension. Many detail solutions and changes
turn the 5 Series into an M5. Consequently, the suspension and its
electronic assistants have been either exclusively developed for the
new M5, undergone extensive modifications or adapted to the special M
performance. For example, the M5's running gear is by no means a
lowered 5 Series suspension. Instead, it is an optimised design created
from scratch. The suspension assisting systems, some of which have the
same name as those of the 5 Series, have been optimised for this
vehicle. On the one hand, this suspension contributes greatly to the M5
being the technological culmination of the successful BMW 5 Series. On
the other hand, it clearly demonstrates that the M5 is a unique model
with a distinctive appearance. Variable M differential lock. The M5
has a variable, torque-sensing differential lock bestowing the vehicle
with a high level of driving stability and optimum traction, above all
when accelerating out of bends. Even in extremely demanding driving
situations, i.e. when there are major differences in the coefficients
of friction at the driven wheels, it offers a decisive advantage in
terms of traction. A further advantage is that it instantly builds up
an increasing locking power if the speed difference between the driven
wheels rises, thus guaranteeing optimum forward progress at all times.
Only featured in the M5: DSC with two selectable driving dynamics
programs. A new generation of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) has
been especially developed for the M5. The DSC system can be deactivated
by pressing a button on the selector lever cover. The driving dynamics
programs are pre-selected in the so-called MDrive and can be called up
using the MDrive button on the steering wheel. Whilst the first DSC
mode by and large corresponds to that of the 5 Series, the second mode
- the M Dynamic Mode - is highly appreciated by sports-minded drivers.
EDC: the spectrum ranges from sportingly firm to comfortable. The M5's
Electronic Damper Control (EDC) enables the driver to choose from three
programs (comfort, normal and sport), thereby adjusting the suspension
characteristics accordingly. The driver can operate the EDC function via
the MDrive button on the steering wheel or the push button next to the
SMG selector lever. Power button activates engine characteristics
"on demand". The driver often does not need the M5's full
performance and maximum agility, for example in city traffic. This is
why the markedly comfortable P400 performance program with an engine
output of 400 bhp is automatically activated whenever the engine is
started. At the push of a button (the so-called Power button on the
selector lever cover), the ten-cylinder powerplant's full power is at
the driver's disposal. The accelerator pedal kinematics adopt
spontaneous characteristics, giving free rein, in the P500 program, to
the sporty driver and eliciting, in the P500 sport program,
uncompromising racing pleasure. High-performance brakes derived from
motor sport. To complement its immense power output, the M5 is equipped
with a generously sized high-performance braking system with
perforated, weight-optimised compound brake discs. The aluminium
twin-piston sliding callipers (analogous to the BMW 7 Series), which
have been optimised for minimum weight and maximum stiffness, help the
M5 to achieve stopping distances similar to those of red-blooded sports
cars: deceleration from 62 mph to 0 is accomplished in under 36 metres,
the braking distance from 124 mph to a standstill is less than 140
metres. The high-performance business express. A wolf in sheep's
clothing - this description would fit if the basic 5 Series, and
particularly the new M5, looked "tame" when viewed from
outside. In fact, the 5 Series already looks sporty, elegant and
athletic. It is no coincidence that this 5 Series represents BMW's
dynamic business class. The M5 is set apart from the basic model by a
host of striking and hidden details, which further add to its powerful,
sporty and dynamic looks. An athlete in business attire would be an apt
description of the new M5. Exterior with understatement. The
differences in design versus the basic 5 Series are discreet but
consistent, giving the M5 a surprisingly high level of uniqueness in
terms of looks, without questioning the common genes with the BMW model
series. The modified front and rear aprons are instant eye catchers.
Another difference is the modified side sills and the somewhat more
prominent wheel arches. Traditionally, the M differs from the
"normal" BMW in its exclusive exterior mirror design, the
four tailpipes, which have also become an unmistakable feature of all M
vehicles, and the exclusive wheel design. For the first time, the M5
sports very attractive gills which are incorporated into the front side
panel. An even sportier interior. The M5 comes with a leather interior
in three different colours, which makes it look even more sophisticated
than the lavishly equipped basic model or - for an extra price - with a
full leather interior, which looks absolutely stunning. Further
important differences versus the 5 Series are the instrument cluster,
the optional M-specific head-up display, the steering wheel with MDrive
buttons and the redesigned centre console. Business express for
everyday use. All vehicles made by BMW M GmbH are very convenient for
everyday motoring. This particularly applies to the M5: despite its
awe-inspiring performance which is reminiscent of that of a racing car,
it has remained an elegant and comfortable saloon perfectly suitable
for longer journeys, an integral characteristic of BMW 5 Series cars.
Thus, one can say that the M5's racing ambitions neither impair driving
comfort, active and passive safety, nor do they reduce the space
available for passengers and luggage. Even in terms of consumption and
environmental compatibility, the M5 is a real paragon - just like all
BMW automobiles.