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When anyone thinks of high-performance vehicles, the iconic BMW M series cars have to be near the top of the list. After a two-year absence here in the U.S., the vaunted BMW M5 Sedan and M6 Coupe are back for North American performance enthusiasts. And they are back with more power, more athleticism, more luxury and if anyone cares, they are more fuel-efficient. And performance enthusiasts will be happy to know that the new BMW M5 Sedan, M6 Coupe, and M6 Convertible share the most powerful engine ever fitted in a series-produced model from BMW M GmbH.
More power and efficiency from the Twin-Power Turbo M V8
The new twin-power turbo V8 shared by the BMW M5 and M6 has the highest output ever generated by a BMW M car. BMW says the engine produces around 10% higher output than the V10 engine of its predecessors and torque is up by over 30%. At the same time, fuel efficiency has improved by nearly 25 percent. The 4.4-liter engine produces 560 hp versus 555 hp for the S63, with maximum torque of 500 lb-ft.
BMW uses direct fuel injection in the V8 for high performance and fuel efficiency. The fuel direction allowed M engineers to bump up the compression ratio to 10:1. Both models have impressive acceleration. The M6 Coupe will accelerate from 0–60 mph in 4.1 seconds and 4.2 seconds for the Convertible. The M5 will sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds (4.3 for the 6-speed manual). The top speed of both models is electronically limited to 155 mph.
A newly-developed 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission
The new V8 engine M TwinPower Turbo engine is mated to a newly developed 7-speed double-clutch transmission designed to specifically handle the increase in horsepower, high torque and high revving . The transmission offers a sequential shift pattern for the manual gearshift mode. Alternatively, the driver can also change gears manually using the shift paddles on the newly developed M leather steering wheel. The BMW M5 six-speed manual will be available and will be offered as a no-cost alternative to the standard 7-speed M-Double Clutch Transmission (DCT).
M-Specific Chassis and new high-performance brakes
BMW M engineers developed each component in the suspension and chassis of the new M5 and M6 based on the extensive race expertise and testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. BMW says the M chassis is “faster than the engine”.
The new BMW M6 Coupe and Convertible will be the first cars in the history of BMW M to be offered with optional M Carbon-Ceramic brakes. The brake rotors measure 16.1 inches at the front and 15.6 inches at the rear. The new carbon-fiber ceramic compound is more resistant to heat and they are 42.8 lb. lighter than the standard brakes. The optional M Carbon-Ceramic brakes also get special gold-colored six-piston fixed radial calipers at the front teamed with single-piston floating calipers at the rear. 19-inch M-specific light-alloy wheels come standard on both models.
Special BMW M5 and M6 Interior treatments
The interior of the new BMW M5 and M6 features customized M sports seats, Merino extended leather upholstery, door sills with “M5 and M6” lettering, an M driver’s footrest, exclusive Aluminum Trace interior trim strips and the BMW individual roof liner in Anthracite are all standard equipment.
A unique optional M Head-Up Display projects important information using different colors onto the windshield directly in the driver’s field of vision. In addition to a digital speed read-out, the M-specific version of the Head-Up Display also shows the gear currently engaged and a color rev counter symbol, complete with Shift Lights.
The iconic BMW M5 Sedan and M6 Coupe went on sale in the U.S. last week and joins the M6 Convertible already on sale. The M5 Sedan starts at $89,900 and the M6 Coupe has a starting MSRP of $106,100. BMW assures us that no pilots license is required.
Source: BMW
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