The history of the BMW M5, an icon of the sports sedan for 40 years | La Verdad

The new BMW M5 represents the seventh generation of the most powerful version of the 5 Series. And, like the previous versions, this new model promises to continue BMW M GmbH’s record of making distinctive sports cars that are actually usable on a daily basis. Here, we look back at the previous six generations of the BMW M5.

In 1979, BMW Motorsport GmbH had already presented the M535i, a particularly sporty version of the BMW 5 Series, and followed this up with a further M535i based on the successor to the E12 (E28) in 1984, before the first generation of the BMW M5 (the E28S) followed in the autumn of the same year. It was powered by the renowned four-valve in-line six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 3.5 litres and 213 kW (286 hp), which had also been tried and tested in racing and was similar to the mid-engined M1 sports car.

Equipped with individual throttle valves, the engine propelled the original M5 from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 245 km/h. The first BMW M5 thus became the fastest series-produced four-door saloon in history.

The introduction of the second generation M5 (the E34S) in 1988 saw a power increase by BMW Motorsport GmbH. With its straight-six engine and increased displacement to 3.6 litres, the new car developed 235 kW (315 hp) – enough to propel the M5 to 250 km/h for the first time. An update of this car in 1992 (known as the E34/5S) saw displacement increased to 3.8 litres and power output to 254 kW (340 hp). And from 1992 the BMW 5 Series was also available in a Touring version, whose rarity (just under 900 units were produced) has made it a highly prized classic.

The motorsport subsidiary of BMW AG, renamed BMW M GmbH in 1993, remained true to its tradition with the third generation of the M5, introduced in 1998. The BMW M5 E39S shared all the styling cues of its predecessors. Under the bonnet of this new vehicle, however, was a four-valve V8 engine with a displacement of five litres, which delivered a maximum of 299 kW (400 hp) and 500 Nm of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The top speed of the new BMW M5, which took 5.3 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, was once again electronically limited to 250 km/h.

For the fourth BMW M5 (the E60), M GmbH relied on a newly developed, high-revving V10 engine with a displacement of five litres from the brand’s Formula 1 single-seater (FW27), which reached its maximum output of 378 kW (507 hp) at an extraordinary 7,750 rpm. This four-valve engine propelled the fourth generation of the BMW M5 from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

For the first time, BMW M5 drivers could deactivate the speed limiter by adding the M Driver’s Package, enabling the BMW M5 to reach a top speed of 305 km/h. Another addition was the seven-speed M Sequential Automatic Transmission (SMG) with Launch Control for maximum acceleration from a standstill. This BMW M5 was also available in Touring (E61) form from 2007.

The fifth generation of the BMW M5 (the F10M) entered the scene in 2011. Replacing the V10 engine, this version was fitted with a 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8 that enabled the BMW M5 to reach new heights. The new BMW M5 now developed almost twice the power (517 kW / 560 hp) of the original BMW M5. Its maximum torque of 680 Nm was also almost twice that of the E28S (340 Nm). M TwinPower Turbo technology enabled the latest BMW M5 with a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 315 km/h. Further improvements continued in 2013 with the M5 Competition Package, which enabled outputs of 423 kW (575 hp). And in 2014 came the special edition model “30 Jahre M5” (30 Years of M5), limited to 300 units, generating 441 kW (600 hp) and paying homage to the original BMW M5 E28S.

In 2016, sales of the same special edition, the “M5 Competition Edition”, limited to 200 units, with 441 kW (600 hp) of power, began.

With the BMW M5 (F90), BMW M GmbH wrote the next chapter in a success story based on a seemingly simple recipe: unrivalled sporting performance and extraordinary usability in a superior package. To achieve this, the V8 engine was still used, although for the first time it was associated with M xDrive all-wheel drive, which allowed the 600 hp and 750 Nm it developed to be transmitted more efficiently, with a claimed 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (self-limiting).

Later, a Competition version was offered, with 625 hp of power, which reduced the 0 to 100 time to 3.3 seconds and a top speed of no less than 305 km/h, and as a spearhead the CS, which reached 635 hp and managed to reduce the figure to 3 seconds in the same acceleration test.

The BMW M5 is entering a new era. With 40 years of history behind it, the legendary high-performance saloon is entering its seventh generation. And for the first time, the executive model from BMW M GmbH is equipped with an M HYBRID drive system that provides the new BMW M5 with a maximum output of 535 kW/727 hp and a maximum system torque of 1,000 Nm. The combustion engine benefits from the latest M TwinPower Turbo technology, a cross-bank exhaust manifold and optimised oil separation. It develops a maximum output of 430 kW/585 hp and a maximum torque of 750 Nm. The maximum output of the electric motor is 145 kW/197 hp. It has a nominal torque of 280 Nm, but a pre-engagement stage enables the effective torque at the transmission input to be increased to 450 Nm. The new BMW M5 has already started production at the Dingolfing plant.

Months after the BMW M5 Sedan, this technology will be introduced as a new feature in the new BMW M5 Touring, a model that returns to the BMW M family after the last model was launched in 2007. This completes 40 years of BMW M GmbH history in executive sedans with the spearhead placed in M ​​HYBRID technology and the reintroduction of the BMW M5 Touring.