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Sports Car Interior with Premium Ambience

The interior of the 2012 M5 brings together an inimitable combination of the driver-oriented cockpit design of a sports car, the spaciousness of a prestige saloon and the luxurious feel of a premium model. Bespoke M sports seats, fine-grain Merino leather upholstery with extended features, door sills with "M5" lettering, an M driver's footrest, exclusive Aluminium Trace interior trim strips and the BMW Individual roof liner in Anthracite are all standard equipment, as is the iDrive control system with an up to 10.2-inch Control Display. This screen is centrally positioned and, like the controls in the central section of the instrument panel, tilted slightly towards the driver.

The instrument cluster with black-panel-technology includes classical circular instruments in traditional BMW M car style, with red needles and white illumination, as well as model-specific displays and the M logo in the rev counter. The shift program currently selected and gear engaged are shown in the center of the instrument cluster. Feedback from all the drive and chassis settings selected at the touch a button is also displayed in the cockpit.

M Drive Buttons

The multifunction buttons on the M leather steering wheel in the new BMW M5 allow the driver, among other things, to operate the cruise control system and the audio and telephone functions. On the left-hand steering wheel spoke the driver will now find two M Drive buttons, which he can use to call up a pre-configured set-up for the car. For example, the driver can save a sporty configuration using the "M1" button and a comfort-biased set-up via the "M2" button. The set-up selected will remain activated until the driver either cancels it by pressing the button again or switches to another M Drive setting. Once the system has been switched off - as when the engine is started - it reverts to a default configuration focusing on efficiency and ride comfort.

The M Drive system in the new BMW M5 allows the driver to adjust no fewer than six parameters: the engine management, the responses of the Servotronic steering system, the M DCT Drivelogic shift program, the DSC mode, the responses of Dynamic Damper Control and the information in the Head-Up Display. The desired settings for the engine, chassis systems and Head-Up Display can be configured in any combination via the iDrive menu. Plus, the driver can also save the current set-up configuration selected earlier using the buttons on the center console by holding down one of the two M Drive buttons for a few seconds. For safety reasons, a set-up involving the DSC settings "MDM" or "DSC Off" requires confirmation from the driver - by pressing the M Drive button again - before it can be activated. The set-up configuration selected is shown by a clear symbol displayed in the instrument cluster.

Head-Up Display as Standard

The M Drive configuration also includes the information shown on the Head-Up Display, which comes as standard on the new BMW M5 and projects important information onto the windscreen directly in the driver's field of vision. The full spectrum of colors is used to display graphics and symbols, and this all-color capability means road sign symbols can be reproduced extremely realistically. In addition to a digital speed readout and tips from the optional Speed Limit Info, the M-specific version of the Head-Up Display also shows the gear currently engaged and a multicolor rev counter symbol, complete with Shift Lights.

As well as the Head-Up Display, numerous other driver assistance systems and mobility services available from BMW ConnectedDrive are also unique in the segment occupied by the 2012 M5. The selection of optionally available systems includes Park Distance Control, a rear view camera, High-Beam Assistant, Speed Limit Info, the Lane Change Warning System, the Lane Departure Warning System, Surround View and BMW Night Vision with pedestrian recognition. Plus, innovative technologies optimize the integration of the Apple iPhone and other smartphones, as well as music players, including the use of internet-based services. The apps option allows iPhone owners to receive Web Radio stations, for example, and display Facebook and Twitter posts on the on-board monitor. The likewise new real-time traffic information function keeps the driver supplied with impressively accurate traffic bulletins and diversion recommendations.

The new BMW M5 also comes as standard with four-zone automatic climate control, heated seats and electric seat adjustment including memory function for the driver and front passenger, xenon light with Adaptive Headlights, ambient light, an alarm system and the BMW Professional radio including CD player, AUX-IN socket and six speakers. In addition, almost all of the items of optional equipment available for the BMW 5 Series Saloon can be ordered as an option. Among the highlights are the Navigation system Professional with a hard disk for storing maps and personal music collections, the electrically operated glass roof, the M multifunction seats, the active seats, active seat ventilation, Comfort Access, the Soft Close Automatic function for the doors and a trailer coupling with electrically pivoting trailer hitch ball.

High-Revving V8 Engine with M TwinPower Turbo

The 2012 BMW M5 adds a fresh, contemporary and fascinating angle to a variety of distinctive features. This applies to both a vehicle concept now in its fifth generation and the car's engine technology. For the first time, a BMW M5 has a turbocharged engine to thank for its outstanding dynamics. The high-revving V8 unit with M TwinPower Turbo technology lends a whole new intensity to the powerful thrust sustained into the higher rev ranges for which M cars are renowned. The 4.4-liter engine develops top output of 560 hp (412 kW) at 6,000 - 7,000 rpm, while its maximum torque of 502 lb-ft (680 Newton meters) is on tap between 1,500 and 5,750 rpm. The rev limiter intervenes at 7,200 rpm. The rev band, which offers extremely dynamic acceleration between the arrival of peak torque and the availability of maximum output, is therefore almost three times as wide as that of the predecessor unit.

The drive unit in the new BMW M5 mobilizes the highest output ever generated by a BMW M car, and at the same time provides the most efficient balance yet between performance and fuel consumption. The new engine produces around 10 per cent higher output than its predecessor and torque is up by over 30 per cent. Fuel consumption and CO2, meanwhile, have been cut by more than 30 per cent. This progress in terms of both driving dynamics and efficiency marks the new BMW M5 out as an extremely pioneering interpretation of a premium high-performance saloon.

The driver can use a button on the center console to adjust the engine's performance characteristics to the demands of the situation and his own individual preferences. "Efficient", "Sport" and "Sport Plus" modes are available.

The turbochargers developed specially for the engine powering the new BMW M5 stand out with their particularly high level of compressor and turbine efficiency, and deliver maximum charge pressure of 1.5 bar. Their innovative construction principle uses the potential of turbocharging to deliver an efficient output boost of unprecedented potency. The latest version of M TwinPower Turbo technology provides a level of responsiveness, intensity and smoothness in its power delivery unmatched in the segment.

The construction principle of M TwinPower Turbo technology also shapes the development of the V8 engine's soundtrack. The concept of cross-bank exhaust manifolds plays a key role in delivering a multilayered collage of sound. The twin-tailpipe exhaust system of the new BMW M5 runs largely in a straight line and has a large cross section. The two exhaust gas ducts feed into a single muffler, from which the customary M twin tailpipes jut out through the far left and right-hand sides of the rear apron.

The 2012 BMW M5 records average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 9.9 liters per 100 kilometers (28.5 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 232 grams per kilometer.

Seven-Speed M Double Clutch Transmission

The 2012 BMW M5 is kitted out with a seven-speed double-clutch transmission to ensure that the transfer of engine output to the rear wheels serves up the time-honored M experience. The M DCT Drivelogic system developed specially for the M5 has been tuned precisely to the performance characteristics of the V8 engine. Both in automated mode (D) and manual (S) it delivers exceptionally fast and clean gear changes. The system's control concept follows similar lines to the sequential M transmission in the predecessor car. Again, no clutch pedal is required for manual gearshift, and the driver can keep his foot on the accelerator during gear changes. The driver uses the model-specific M gear selector to choose between D and S mode, and to engage reverse. The transmission offers a sequential shift pattern for the manual gearshift mode. Alternatively, the driver can also change gear manually using the standard-fitted shift paddles on the steering wheel - the right-hand paddle for upshifts, the left-hand paddle for downshifts. Comfort is further enhanced by the new Low Speed Assistance function, which keeps the car moving at minimal speed through stop-start traffic with a light nudge of the accelerator pedal.

When the stability control system is switched off, Launch Control allows the driver to achieve the maximum acceleration force possible from a standstill - as permitted by the condition of the road - by pressing the accelerator down with maximum force. Each gear change takes place automatically and at the optimum engine speed.

M-Specific Chassis, Electronically Controlled Dampers, M Dynamic Mode

The 2012 BMW M5 comes with bespoke chassis technology whose construction and set-up are defined by extensive expertise from the race track. Specially developed axle kinematics and newly developed components boasting impressive strength and minimized weight meet both the requirements of everyday road driving and the specialized demands of track use. As with every BMW M car, the engineers carried out the fine-tuning that underpins the perfect M experience during extensive testing on the Nürburgring's Nordschleife circuit.

The 2012 BMW M5 is equipped as standard with electronically controlled dampers. Dynamic Damper Control uses electrohydraulic damping force adjustment to provide a set-up suited to the driving situation or the wishes of the driver. The damper settings can be adjusted at the touch of a button. In "Comfort" mode the dampers respond adaptively to the condition of the road surface and the driver's style. "Sport" mode activates a noticeably stiffer damper set-up, while "Sport Plus" allows further stiffening of the suspension to achieve maximum longitudinal and lateral acceleration in ultra-dynamic driving situations.

In addition to applying brake impulses and reducing engine output to stabilize the car, the DSC system in the new BMW M5 also employs the services of the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Brake Assistant, Fading Compensation, Brake Drying function and Start-Off Assistant. M Dynamic Mode (MDM) can be activated to override the basic setting by pressing the DSC button on the center console. This mode generates the familiar M self-steering response by raising the intervention thresholds of DSC. "DSC Off" mode can also be activated at the touch of a button.

High-Performance Compound Brakes

The high-performance braking system of the new BMW M5 guarantees outstanding stopping power. The further development of the remarkable compound construction has resulted in further optimized braking performance - resisting fade even under heavy loads - and an enviable degree of feel. The six-piston fixed-caliper brakes are radially bolted to the pivot bearing. The M-specific light-alloy wheels for the new BMW M5 come in 19-inch format as standard and are fitted with 265/40 R19 tires at the front and 295/40 R19 items at the rear. 20-inch forged M light-alloy wheels can be ordered as an option.

BMW M5 (Euro-spec): Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications