Southern California appears to be a hotbed for FEP stage F10 M5 prototype testing, as multiple test cars are spotted each week. Another black F10 M5 prototype was just spotted last week (video/photos inside). The chase car was no slouch - an E39 M5, and it still had problems keeping up in the beginning of the video.

Although it remains clad in camouflage, we already know what the production F10 M5 will essentially look like by referencing the F10 M5 Concept, albeit with the mirrors and sideskirts seen here (which were not on the concept M5). Although the wheels have been painted black, these look to be the production wheels (the beautiful 5-spoke ones shown with the BMW Concept M5 are said to be available as an … CONTINUED

The guys over at M5Board got their hands on the first picture of the upcoming F10 M5 Engine Bay! This motor is at the heart of all the M5 speculation at the moment. What is known is that this motor is based on the Twin Turbo V8 unit currently motivating the X5 and X6 M. However, it has undergone modification for use in the M5 and BMW is clutching onto the exact power and torque figures, keeping us all in suspense.

The S63 Twin Turbo V8 is rumored to producing more power and torque then the equivalent X5/X6M unit while produce 25% less emmisions then the outgoing V10 powered E60 M5.

We are hoping to see this car debut at the M Festival in June, until then, enjoy … CONTINUED

Now that the BMW Concept M5 has been shown to the public, BMW has basicly unwrapped their test fleet of M5s– because we all know the shape. The benefit of that for us is that we get a preview of the M5 in a variety of colors, and so far we’ve gotten to see the car in Silver and White. Other popular colors such as Monte Carlo Blue have been shown off in the past, but unfortunatly with the body cladding still on the car.

Here are a few pictures of the next generation M5 in Black. Although the wheels have been painted black, these look to be the production wheels (The beautiful 5-spoke ones shown with the BMW Concept M5 are said to be … CONTINUED

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

We’ve reported before about the M Festival taking place at the Nürburgring from June 23rd through June 26th 2011. It’s a four day event comprising of many highlights like the M Night on Thursday evening, an M parade on the Ring on Friday and of course the Nürburgring 24h race on Saturday and Sunday.

What caught our attention in a recent interview about the M Festival is an announcement that they “will be taking the opportunity to exclusively present two brand-new M automobiles for the very first time” at the M Night. We already know, as previously announced, that one of the M cars will be the lightweight M3 sedan which is supposed to be called M3 EVO. The only other M car we could speculate as … 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.

Many speculated that a AWD F10 M5 was possible in the works when BMW released the promo videos of the new M5 undergoing serious snow testing. It appears there may indeed possibly be an F10 M5 xDrive version sometime in the future. In an interview with Autocar, BMW M’s head of research and development, Albert Biermann, indicated that “There will be some all-wheel-drive surprises on M cars in the future,” apparently to satisfy demand from the US’s snow belt. This would represent the first time that the M5 come in a xDrive variant.

The only transmission details released so far for the concept F10 M5 is that it uses a Getrag 7-speed M DCT with M Drivelogic and has an Active M Differential.