Earlier this month, BMW Plant Dingolfing inserted new BMW M5s into its production line, thereby ringing in a new era of performance and technology never before seen in BMW's quintessential high-performance mid-size sports sedan.
The sixth generation of the BMW M5 introduces a version of all-wheel drive for the first time ever in an M car. This is not your ordinary xDrive however, but rather, a special M-tuned xDrive with a heavy rear bias and the ability to be switched off if the driver prefers. (And yes, the BMW X5 M and X6 M had xDrive, but those were not all-wheel drive systems designed by BMW M like the M xDrive on the new M5.)
Dr. Andreas Wendt, Plant Manager at Dingolfing, noted, "The sixth generation of the BMW M5 is one of the most powerful vehicles that run in the Dingolfing factory. For over 30 years, the M5 is the epitome of the sports sedan and we are proud to be able to inspire BMW drivers around the world with this vehicle from Lower Bavaria."
From 2011 to 2016, BMW Plant Dingolfing produced about 20,000 fifth-generation M5 Sedans that were sent to many worldwide markets; in particular, the United States, Great Britain, and Germany. The same will probably be true for the F90 M5, which will be available at dealers this spring. In the U.S., the base price for the new M5 is $102,600 plus $995 Destination and Handling charge.
The new M5, with its 600-horsepower 4.4-liter V8 engine with M Twin Power Turbo technology is the quickest M5 ever, with a zero-to-60 time of 3.4 seconds. This week, BMW announced a bone stock new M5 driven by former DTM champion Bruno Spengler set the lap record for a four-door production sedan at China's Formula 1 track, the Shanghai International Circuit, with a time of 2:22.828 minutes.
With a six-figure price tag, the new M5 Sedan is not for everyone; but for those who can afford it, few other four-door sedans will come close to its combination of power, handling, safety, and technology. The 17,500 employees at BMW Plant Dingolfing should be proud.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
