Sign in

(19)

---

You're looking at the new BMW M5, a super saloon version of the current BMW 5-series. Alright, it may be being pitched as the 'BMW M5 Concept' for its debut at this month's Shanghai Motor Show, but we know from official sources that this car is pretty much signed off and production ready.

The M5 was the first BMW saloon car to receive the famous tricolore treatment and now, five model generations and 25 years later, the ultimate performance saloon looks set to remain as ground-breaking as ever.

Aesthetics aside, the big changes to the new BMW M5 are the engine and drivetrain. Gone is the previous car's 5.0-litre V10 powerplant and (slightly jerky) SMG clutchless manual gearbox, for an even more powerful twin-turbocharged V8 that's mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch system.

This is the first ever turbocharged M5 and we're already hearing rumours of 25 per cent fuel efficiency savings and, more importantly, as much as 560bhp. In a saloon car.

This probably explains why the revised front bumper requires three humungous grilles to help suck in as much air as possible, providing cooling for the radiator as well as the cross-drilled front brakes. Round the back, there's also quad exhausts, an integrated diffuser and a very subtle lip spoiler to help give the new BMW M5 some typically understated aggression.

Prices are expected to start from around £65k when the car hits UK showrooms in late 2011.

(19)