BMW Concept M5 - M is for Magnificent

For all intents and purposes, this is the new BMW M5. Officially, it’s called the Concept M5, but the company describes it as “near-series” and BMW did a similar thing with the new 6 Series. This concept was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in the spring, but the proper M5 debuts at the Frankfurt show in September. In the meantime, the concept packs a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 making 560 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. That’s a considerable bump of 60 hp and 127 lb-ft over the previous V10-powered M5, but fuel economy is claimed to have improved by 25 percent. Power goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Estimates put the sprint time from standstill to 60 mph at a whisker under 4.5 seconds and top speed at 180 mph if the 155-mph limiter was disabled. For the Shanghai show, the car sports 20-inch wheels and a paint finish called Chrome Shadow. Expect the real M5 to have all the typical M equipment and a suspension tuned on the Nürburgring. It will go on sale in the United States next year.