BMW M5 2012 News

The new M5 is out testing every week at the Nurburgring and, despite heavy camouflage, Carparazzi has caught it clearly. These pictures show a car which still has some plastic cladding but has also picked up BMW's signature ‘psychedelic’ body wrapping to disguise its final lines. Even so, the shape of the front bumper and fascia, and the size of the giant new air intakes, is clear. They point more than ever to the use of a hot new engine, confirming talk from Germany that BMW is switching the M5 to the 4.4-litre twin- turbo engine already used in the M-power versions of the X6 and X5 SUVs. It makes more than 410kW, a little short of the V10 power in the latest Audi RS6 but with more torque than the outgoing V10 in the current M5. There is also a hint of a power bulge on the bonnet of the new M5, which would be needed as the layout for BMW's engine has the twin turbochargers tucked into the vee at the top of the engine. It is fine for clearance in the X6 and X5 but would call for more space in a low-line 5 Series sedan. Apart from the engine, the pictures point to the M division's signature four exhaust pipes at the back, as well as large cross-drilled brakes at each corner of the car.

Well that's one of the rumours coming out of Europe as BMW's M division moves into top gear for the next-generation M5. Unlike typical regenerative braking systems, KERS uses the stored energy for extra power and the touch of a button. The next-generation 5 Series upon which the M5 is based is expected to be shown at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show with the M5 expected to follow late next year or early 2011. BMW Australia's Toni Andreevski says he's not aware of the next-generation's M5's specification, or powerplants. Some reports have suggested BMW will downsize from the massive V10 to a twin-turbo V8 while other sources are suggesting the V10 will grow in capacity to 5.5-litres developing around 410kW and introduce direct injection and turbocharging. "Whether or not the new M5 would have a smaller overall capacity or less cylinders, I guess the first priority is to make sure the performance meets what an M5 buyer expects," Andreevski says.