BMW M5 Project Leader Says Company is Considering All-Wheel Drive

BMW’s M Division looks set to break almost every tradition it has created in the last three decades. First it put the M badge on not one, but two SUVs – the X5 M and X6M. Then, with the new M 1 Coupe and M5 sedan, it abandoned natural aspirated engines that were a hallmark of all M coupes, cabrios and saloons no matter how many cylinders they had.

On the other hand, the M5's new twin-turbocharged engine is more powerful, has more torque and consumes less fuel compared to its predecessor. At least, unlike future small BMWs, the company's sportiest models will continue to direct torque to the rear wheels, right?

Well, not so fast. During the new M5’s press launch in Spain, project leader Max Ahme told journalists that as power and torque figures increase, four-wheel drive may be the only possible way to harness all those ponies.

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BMW Testing Ceramic Brakes for New M5 V8

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of BMW and Head of Purchasing and Supplier Network, recently revealed to BimmerFile that the firm's M Division is exploring various options on carbon ceramic brakes for the new M5 sports saloon.

However, the M Division is not working alone but together with Brembo, which is also the break supplier of the new M5, in developing the new carbon ceramic discs.

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Video: Watch a BMW Z3 5.0 V10 go from 0 to 340km/h+

If you thought the short clip of the all-new 2012 BMW M5 reaching 300km/h (187mph) on the German Autobahn was cool, wait until you get a load of this clip.

What you're about to watch is footage from a steering-wheel mounted camera -hence the wobbly picture- of a specially modified BWM Z3 racecar accelerating from zero to a little over 340km/h (211mph+) in less than 20 seconds.

As you may have imagined, this is no ordinary Z3 Coupe as it is fitted with a 5.0-liter V10 engine sourced from the previous M5 saloon / M6 Coupe & Cabriolet models, delivering 530HP and 600Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of peak torque.

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Video: New BMW M5 Hits 300 km/h on the Autobahn

Hans, a German native who happens to be the president of the M Flight Club, had the chance to drive the brand-new, BMW M5 F10 powered by a 560HP twin-turbocharged V8. And like any car-nut living in Germany, he took the sports saloon to the Autobahn. Read more »

New BMW M5 gets an Acoustic System that Replicates the Engine Sounds in the Cabin

As with any new BMW, the latest V8-powered M5 F10 comes packed with an array of gadgets and gimmicky features, some of which you may like, some of which you may not.

One of the sports saloon's new features that may dismay purists is the Active Sound Design. To explain, this system is designed to –according to BMW- "accurately replicate" the sounds of the bi-turbocharged V8 engines inside the cabin through the vehicle's audio system.

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New BMW M5 F10 in an Individual Frozen Black Hue: What do You Think?

Ever since BMW first showed the new M5 sports saloon earlier in the summer, and sans a white example that appeared at the firm's Frankfurt Motors show stand, the Bavarians have been constantly tossing around press pictures of the car in the Monte Carlo racing blue hue.

Cool as it may be at first, over time and after a gazillion or so images of the M5 F10 in the same Monte Carlo color, we think we've just about had enough.

But fear not, the Bavarian-loving guys from 5Post have obtained new photos of the V8-powered sports sedan finished in an Individual Frozen Black hue.

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IAA 2011: New V8-Powered BMW M5 is More Powerful but Also More Frugal than V10 Predecessor

Many consider the i3 and i8 to be the most impressive models on BMW’s stand because they are showcasing the company’s environmentally-friendly future.

Petrol heads, on the other hand, may find another BMW far more interesting. The all-new M5 may have been surfing the web since June, but the 64th IAA in Frankfurt marks its first public debut.

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