Tag Archives: BMW M5

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BMW M Eyes Standalone Models

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In the world of performance luxury automobiles, the old saying holds as true as anywhere. BMW’s M division burst onto the scene in the late 70s with the Lamborgini-built M1 which was followed by the first performance-derivative road car, the M535i. The rest is history.

Not long after M cars started selling in droves, Mercedes-Benz tuner AMG was made into an official sub-brand by the three-pointed star, and then came Audi Quattro GMBH and more alphabet soup.

Now that AMG has released the GT, the shoe is on the other foot. Don’t expect M to back down when challenged by the cross-town rival.

A Matter of Lineage

If you’re asking “AMG-GT, so what?” the importance of AMG’s new pointy pony car is that it’s not based on anything Mercedes currently builds. Traditionally, M cars have been based on existing models.

Giving M free reign to build whatever they want is, ahem, intriguing to say the least. The last time that happened, we got the M1.

You might be expecting a halo car then. It makes sense that a division like M would want to produce something all-conquering given carte blanche, but that doesn’t sound like the plan to hear M boss Markus Flasch tell it. He says that hypercars are costly design exercises without much ROI.

BMW-faithful will recognize the 2002 and CSL concept cars the company has turned out in recent years, and it sounds like these are closer to what we could see from M as a standalone model.

A modern-day take on the 2002, for example, would probably get the attention of more than a few enthusiasts. Actually, just please build the concept car, M. Thank you.

Return to M-ness

It makes sense that in the age of numb electronic steering and lane-departure warnings, what every consumer wants from an M car is not the same.

We believe this move could enable M to create something truly raw once again. A car for the enthusiast who refuses to embrace paddle shifters, even if they are faster. A car that doesn’t have to compromise.

M cars have always been about conviction. But to build an E30 M3 today would never sit well with consumers. Hence, we have an M3 that delivers outstanding performance, gobs of power and lavish interior appointments, but it is a compromise.

It’s not the “race car for the road” of generations past. More a road car on steroids.

What M will choose to do, we cannot say. This entire thing could be a farce. One model or five might be built. But we want to believe that a standalone M car might do away with some of the fluff that’s been piled onto current M models and deliver a return to basics.

With, for example, a clutch pedal and no rev-matching feature perhaps. Or at least the option to disable it (we’re looking at you, M2).

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Exciting New Features Coming in BMW’s 2019 Summer Refresh

Even with a brand-new 3 series just released and the plastic wrapping just coming off of the new X5 and halo-car 8 series, there’s no rest for the wicked.

When your top competition is one of the world’s oldest automakers and you’re playing catch-up against a lineup with 14 distinct classes to fill every little market niche, you have to be a little obsessive.

Queue the mid-season refresh. For 2019, the refresh is a thing in a big way. We’re getting new engine options, enhanced technologies and additional colors, just to name a few of the seasonal updates. So if you just bought a BMW, pat yourself on the back because pining for a new one can start today!

The 3er Gets new Powertrains

BMW 340i GT M Sport Estorilblau

Even with the hot new 8 series turning heads in the media, BMW’s reputation is fully invested in the 3-series.

The new G20 car has only been out for half a year, but it’s getting expanded powertrain options such as the coupling of the new 374hp turbo six-cylinder and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.

This model will wear the name M340i xDrive, and will be the must feature-laden 3er short of the full-on M car, which is currently without AWD.

For bimmerphile environmental enthusiasts, the lineup expansion also includes the 320i xDrive, the 330e hybrid model, which combines the 320’s four-cylinder powertrain with an electric motor for extra grunt and efficiency, and a version of the 330d diesel-powered car that includes the xDrive system.

Topping things off are new M Sport suspension upgrades available through BMW dealers and a gaggle of new paint and interior options. Not bad.

A Baby M5 for Your Driving Pleasure

The last few iterations of the 550i have held sleeper super-sedan status thanks to impressive power and none of the harshness that comes with the M car’s sporting intentions.

A newly developed V8 makes its way into the current 550 and narrows the gap with it’s M sibling to just 77 horsepower, producing 523hp and 553lbs-ft. of torque. This might cause a lot of potential M buyers to consider whether at nearly $400 per pony and with no difference in torque output, 523 is enough Bavarian horses.

Other BMW Things

There’s also a minor refresh in M land with the M4 coupe and convertible now offering the competition package as standard. That means increased output from the S55 six-cylinder of 450hp, a sports exhaust, upgraded seats to hold you in while you hoon your M car as one does using the Active M differential included in the package and breathed-on Adaptive M suspension with specially tuned dynamic stability control.

You also get BMW drive recorder on all models, so you can show your hoonage off on social media after downloading it from your car, or even submit evidence in the case of an accident using the feature that auto-saves 20 seconds before and after a collision.

If you’re the type that’s more excited about batteries than rip-snorting German horsepower, you should be happy to know that electrified BMWs will now make a sound to alert pedestrians that you’re approaching. So you can no longer sneak up on unwitting Mercedes drivers, for that you’ll need to join the Prius Illuminati. But now then, who would lower themselves to the ranks of driving a Toyota?

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Check Out the BMW M5 Competition Package

There’s been a lot of news about the M5 Competition, but in case you missed it, we have you covered.

You can’t look at a new BMW without at least glancing over all the fantastic performance packages and accessories you can add on to your new car. The newest and perhaps the most exciting of these packages is the Competition Package for the new M5 sedan. Let’s take a look at the already-beefy M5 and what this package has to offer.

The BMW M5

This luxury sedan is already a beast even by BMW’s standards. The 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine cranks out a whopping 600 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. While the newest models may have lost some fans because of the automatic transmission with no manual option, there are still plenty of drivers waiting for the newest incarnation of this powerful little sedan to roll off the assembly line.

Right out of the factory, this car can make it from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds and can pull a quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds at 129 miles per hour. It comes with all-wheel-drive but can easily be switched into rear-wheel-drive mode with the push of a button, though rear-wheel-drive does knock a couple of seconds off its 0-60 and quarter-mile times.

With adjustable suspension modes, this sedan is just as much at home on the track as it is during your morning commute.

The Competition Package

Adding a good engine treatment can be a great way to squeeze a few extra horses out of nearly any engine, even one as powerful as the V8 under the hood of the M5. If 600 horsepower just isn’t enough for you, though, waiting for the new Competition Package was the best thing you could have done.

This package adds 25 more horsepower and 37 extra lb.-ft. of torque to the already-powerful engine. It also includes a firmer suspension — which can still be adjusted to fit your driving needs — and y-spoke alloy wheels to stand up to any punishment on or off the track.

This package also includes a Sports Exhaust. While it isn’t going to be the full titanium exhaust used on older models, it will reportedly be louder and offer more cracks that the titanium pipes, so we’ll have to see how the Competition Package M5 sounds out on the track.

Of course, no BMW package is complete without its branding — and you’ll see that in the door sills, rear badging, logos and engine cover.

One thing this package doesn’t include is BMW’s carbon ceramic brakes, which came as a surprise to many fans. While you can still add these to your M5 for an additional cost, leaving them off does take roughly 50 pounds off the car’s overall weight. It’s entirely up to you.

You might find it’s totally worth the cost for a few extra ponies under the hood and some snazzy additions to an already-fantastic little sedan.