WHEN the BMW M5 was unveiled no one said "this could do with more power".
But crazy is the world that we live in, that 590-bhp or 440-kW is not enough for an executive sedan.
Now BMW has unveiled a more potent M5, see the standard M5 was powerful - but it could not match its rival, the brutal Mercedes-AMG E63s on paper.
So now we have the M5
Competition, with 617-bhp and 460-kW, just enough to edge-out the E63s which
can only manage 450-kW.
Torque remains the same at 750-Nm but now the 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8 spreads the torque out on a wider rev range, 1800-rpm to 5800-rpm (200rpm more than the standard M5).
The engine gets new
mountings which BMW says will improve the engine's responsiveness and immediate
transfer of power to the drive train.
An increased spring rate also helps the car's directness in corners.
All that added power helps the M5 Competition sprints from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than standard M5.
And you know what other car is 0.1 seconds slower to 100km/h? You guessed it, the E63s. Power still goes through the 8-speed M Steptronic transmission to the rear-biased M xDrive.
The Competition has been
lowered by 7mm. The chassis has also received "judicious tweaks to the
wheel suspension, springs and dampers."
The M5 Competition Package also gets some visual upgrades over the standard car including the BMW Individual Frozen Dark Silver Metallic paint, plus the high-gloss Shadow Line is now applied as standard on the kidney grille, mirror caps, side gills, the rear apron insert etc. Exclusive 20-inch forged alloy wheels let people know you driving something special.
Now we wait for YouTube motoring journalists to get their hands on the M5 Competition so we can see it duel the E63s to see who comes out on top.
