From back to front
05 May 2011 00:00:00
BMW has acknowledged that a four-wheel-drive version of its new M5 is being lined up. Munich’s new rival to the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, revealed at the recent Shanghai show, uses a 552bhp twin-turbocharged V8 motor and features a typically conservative body kit with sinister-looking 20in wheels.
BMW is keen to hold back exact details about the car, but officials have confirmed that there are moves to eventually produce a four-wheel-drive version of the M5. However, insiders have denied that the company is considering producing a long-wheelbase version of the car specifically for the Chinese market.
“The long-wheelbase platform is reserved for standard versions of the 5-series sold in the Chinese market,” said one source. “There are no existing plans for an M5 on this structure.”
Set to go on-sale late this year, following the unveiling of the definitive production version at the Frankfurt motor show in September, the new M5 is said to possess greater straight-line performance than its predecessor while delivering an impressive 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption.
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These gains can be attributed, in part, to the adoption of a Getrag-engineered seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and a range of other measures from BMW’s Efficient Dynamics portfolio, including automatic stop-start, brake energy recuperation and on-demand ancillary functions for the water pump.
Greg Kable
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