New M5 Competition in a nutshell:
- High-performance saloon fuses sports car driving dynamics with everyday usability
- Powered by a 625hp 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology
- Chassis tuned for on-track performance with the addition of new dampers
- Introduction of M Mode and larger 12.3-inch Central Information Display powered by BMW Operating System 7.0
- Priced from £98,095 RRP, Car Leasing prices TBC
A tuned chassis and uprated dampers turn the new M5 Competition into a true track weapon, according to BMW. And BMW’s flagship super-saloon has got the Audi RS6 well and truly in its sights.
Powered by a 4.4 litre V8 engine, the standard M5 is no slouch. But BMW’s engineers have turned things up a notch with the Competition, boosting horsepower from 600hp to 625hp and producing some blistering performance numbers.
The high-revving, eight cylinder engine in the M5 Competition means you sprint from 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds, with 0-124mph achieved in just 10.8 seconds.
Top speed is 155mph – or 189mph with the optional M Driver’s Package specified - while peak torque of 750Nm is on tap between 1,800 and 5,860rpm.
It is, then, the M5 in its ‘sharpest and most performance-focused form to date’, according to BMW, delivering ‘everyday usability’ alongside ‘exceptional on-track ability’.
And it’s not just in power output where the M5 Competition has been honed and perfected for racing.
The M5 Competition already sits lower than the standard M5 to improve handling, and now BMW say the Competition’s chassis - including double-wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension - has been tweaked further, largely based on lessons learned while developing the new BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupé.
The focus here is about agility and precision, not just straight-line speed. As well as three driving modes - ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport ’ - you can also alter the lightness of the steering according to how much feedback you want through the wheel. Crucially, there’s new bespoke engine mounts to make everything more taut.
A BMW spokesperson says: “The engine’s firm connection to the vehicle’s structure is clearly noticeable, resulting in extremely fast engine response and immediate transmission of its power to the drivetrain. The stiffness of the mounts also helps the car turn into corners with greater precision.”
With all that power, the Competition needs to stop as well as it goes - which BMW has, helpfully, considered, thanks to the fitting of uprated compound disc brakes, which feature six-piston calipers at the front and single piston calipers at the rear.
Improvements have also been made to lubrication and cooling - including a clever, fully variable, map-controlled oil pump to ensure you don’t lose any performance on the race track.
BMW’s trademark M xDrive all-wheel-drive system is married to the Active M Differential, making sure power is channeled directly to the car’s now rapidly-turning wheels.
And there are other delights for the senses - and to keep you safe - including a flap controlled exhaust system to improve the aural soundtrack, a 12.3 inch touchscreen display, two viewing modes in the Head-Up Display, as well as BMW’s Driving Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus fitted as standard.
Perhaps most importantly of all, the signature BMW front kidney grille has been tweaked ever so slightly, this time to give cleaner lines befitting such a sophisticated machine.
