The current BMW 5 Series is on its way out, after a rather typical 7-year production run. With the new G30 model, the Germans will also launch a fresh M5 super sporty sedan to take on the likes of Audi RS6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG. The 2018 BMW F90 M5 was just spotted out testing on the Nurburgring, this time apparently with a little less camo on.
While the G30 5 Series plans to bring a plethora of new technology to the table, the F90 will also have a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Things such as a carbon fiber roof and CFRP inserts in the chassis/body of the car will likely show up in production, aiming at considerably reducing the weight of the car compared to its predecessor.
The F10 M5 was the first ever turbocharged model in its 30 years existence and has been often been criticized for its. While the S63 4.4-liter V8 did deliver incredible performance, the weight of the car, close to 2 metric tons, was a bit of an issue. Most people claimed that this luxurious sedan was just too heavy for its sake while the laws of physics made it lean too much in corners.
That seemed to be a common issue for older BMW models until the new G11/G12 7 Series came out. The flagship brought to spotlight a new way of building cars, infusing technology from the i sub-division to make sure it stays as agile as possible for a limousine. The same manufacturing processes will be applied for the F90 M5 along with an upgrade for the engine and all-wheel drive.
By the looks of things, the M5 will come out with about 600 HP and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal. Coupled with the loss in weight and sending its power to all four corners of the car, it is rumored that it will be able to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in under four seconds, which is borderline supercar territory. Furthermore, unrestricted, the top speed should climb over the 300 km/h (186 mph) easily.
It remains unclear whether BMW will continue using the 8-speed ZF gearbox from the current X5 M and X6 M models, as the 7-speed DCT unit doesn’t support all-wheel drive. However, the rumormill churns out that a dual-clutch unit designed from scratch could be used on future AWD M models.
Since the new G30 5 Series will come out late this year, the F90 M5 is expected to be unveiled in full in 2017, possibly at Geneva. Therefore, plenty of things could happen in the meantime.
