With the production M5’s likely reveal next month, F10 M5 FEP-stage prototypes are out testing in force. We bring you the best photos yet of an Alpine White FEP F10 M5 testing on the streets of Germany. Although there’s never been any suspense as to which car we’ve been spying, the M5 badge has finally been affixed to the prototype, giving it a more final-form feel and signaling just how close we are to seeing the production version.
Not much camouflage remains on the prototype M5s. The front bumper and rear diffuser clearly will resemble the ones seen on the F10 M5 concept revealed last month, but the center section on the rear diffuser appears different than the concept version (larger photo below), taking on a … CONTINUED
Here are the first ever photos of the F10 M5 Concept’s interior. Clearly seen is the tachometer’s redline, DCT with Drivelogic, and unique M fixtures such as the M tri-color stitching and textured trim.
The F10 M5 concept has made its first public debut at a 2011 Shanghai Autoshow pre-show press event. The F10 M5 concept has previously only been shown in a private event hosted by BMW M GmbH at the Garching headquarters.
Many have said that the F10 M5 makes an impression closer to the E39 M5 than the immediately preceding E60 M5, by ditching the E60’s more avant garde lines and styling for the more direct and linear lines of the E39 generation. To us, this observation certainly has some merit, as borne out by the photo comparison below. To our eyes, the concept F10 M5 seemingly occupies the space between the E39 and E60 iterations - toning down the at-times controversial E60’s curvacious and nontraditional cutlines, but adding more flow and dynamic surface changes to the E39’s more classic upright design.
We undertook yesterday a photo comparison of the F10 M5 concept versus the E60 M5 concept. But how does the F10 M5 compare to its direct German rivals - the Mercedes Benz E63 AMG and the Audi RS6. Let’s take a look below.
F10 M5: (official photos and info):
Engine: High revving twinpower turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed M DCT with M Drivelogic (manual transmission option status still unknown)
Differential: Active M Differential
Tires Front 265/35/ ZR 20
Tires Rear 295/30 ZR 20
E63 AMG:
Engine: 6.2L V8 525bhp / 465 lb-ft. torque (naturally aspirated)
Acceleration (0-62 mph) 4.5 seconds
Top Speed 155 mph, electronically limited
Transmission: AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission
Differential: Electronic locking LSD with ESP selectable suspension
Tires Front 255/35 R 19
Tires Rear 285/30 … CONTINUED
The F10 M5 concept was officially unveiled online today [official photos/video/info] to much excitement and anticipation. The F10 M5 represents the successor to the now fabled E60 M5, which began production in 2005 and ended last year. The F10 M5 concept’s official press release photos reminded us much of the E60 M5 concept’s debut photos. We’ve posted up some comparison photos below.
Not much technical info or specs have been released so far for the F10 M5, but what we do know is that the engine will be a high revving twinpower turbo V8 (albeit different from the X5/6 M), the transmission will include a 7-speed M DCT with M Drivelogic (manual transmission option status still unknown), and up to 25% fuel efficiency increase over the E60 … CONTINUED
Today marks the public release of the all new BMW Concept M5 ahead of its formal debut in Shanghai.
Now as you may have quickly noticed, the word ‘concept’ sits between BMW and M5, meaning this car is not yet the full production vehicle. In typical BMW M fashion, first a “concept” version of the car is rolled out to the public, in order to showcase what the car will look like, painted in stunning Chrome Shadow. After this car has been shown to the world, the full production version will then be released.
Follow the jump for all the media!
We recently posted the F10 M5 [URL="http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501764"]teaser and trailer (with commentary)[/URL] from BMW, but here’s the raw uncut footage, featuring nothing but the visuals and sounds from the F10 M5 undergoing winter testing. 30 minutes of pure unadulterated F10 M5 goodness. The F10 M5 concept’s debut is nearly upon us so stay tuned for coverage!
Speculation around possible transmission options for the upcoming F10 M5 continues. Last week relieving news trickled in as EVO’s Chris Harris and other outlets confirmed that BMW will not resort to their widely used 8-speed ZF automatic transmission but instead use a beefed up 7-speed M-DCT for the M5. This leaves one remaining ‘mystery’ regarding M5 transmission options — whether there will be a manual transmission available. German Focus appears to know more on the matter as they mention in a today’s article about fast sedans:
“A manual transmission will again be available for the M5 - but for the US market only where operating a manual gearbox is still not considered troublesome.”
This makes perfect sense as BMW surely doesn’t want to have the ‘E60 M5 … CONTINUED
