Geneva Launch March 2004 of the "Concept M5"

It all began with member Ashok asking which ones should come to Geneva in March for the premiere of the new and fourth generation BMW M5 of the E60-generation. This was in the autumn of 2003 and all of us have seen spypics of the upcoming M5 since well over a year, with as good pictures and videos of the M5 even at the Nurburgring with Mr Richter, a BMW M chief of development himself behind the wheel, followed (far behind of course) by an Audi RS6.

Upto a few days to the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March it was very uncertain for us enthusiasts if the M5 should be launched at all. Some spy pics were shot near BMW facilities in Oxnard, California by a board member c4m5 of the M5 and M6 and he mentioned it sounded just like a Formula 1 car.

A few calls to BMW Germany as well as BMW M in Garching did not disclose any new details, other than BMW is a very polite and correct company, and are returning calls promptly. Someone suggestes that we would not be surprised but no new regarding the M5 and the only news they had was a launch in the late autumn of 2004. Poor us, no news when there is Kompressor V8 AMG with 476 HP on the streets as well as biturbo Audis with 450 HP when the very car that started the segment will have to wait a few months until it is launched.

So then just a day or two before the launch BMW -either accidently or deliberatly- showed two small resolution pics of the new "Concept M5" at their website bmw.com. It was shown at a page presenting the news for the Geneva Salon. Shortly after it was discovered by a member, BMW changed the URL of the pictures but did not delete them. A very interesting move that also was appreciated that they kept the pictures up. Also the same day the Geneva Salon presented the displayed cars and in the BMW stand there was one space reserved for a "new concept car". Case solved, the new M5 will be launched at Geneva. The hotels weren't booked in vain!

Additionaly British Autocar reported this, but I doubt it. The news wasn't really "leaked" but rather published, and the image was always hosted at bmw.com. In anycase, we were very grateful for the launch.

Below is the official press release and the official hi-res pictures that you could get a day before the salon. Alot of things on the press-release surprised me -mostly postively I might add- but what was truly surprising was the 0-200 km/h time in predicted "...being reached in just 13 seconds" is truly an acheivment for a rearwheel-driven, front-engined four-door car!

* The world's first V10 high-revving engine in a saloon car.
* The world's first 7-speed SMG in a saloon car.
* The best power-to-weight ratio in its market segment.

Spread over three generations of production, more than 35,000 units were built - initially manually at the BMW M plant in Munich and later at the 5 Series assembly line in Dingolfing. These units were then sold worldwide.

The secret of the BMW M5's popularity has always been the successful synthesis of unobtrusive yet powerful appearance, combined with a high-performance power unit - a sports car featuring Formula 1 technology and at the same time a saloon car offering premium comfort.

In terms of driving dynamics, the BMW M5 had always set standards in its segment. It not only excelled due to its high performance, but due to the way in which M power was produced and developed. It appeared as if this first-
rate car's inexhaustible power reserves had created a totally new dimension in effortlessness.

BMW M5 parameters: Performance, style and driving fun.

Due to the change of model within the 5 Series, the BMW M product portfolio is currently presented without a BMW M5, even though the demand for such a car has never diminished. For this reason, BMW M designers have begun designing a possible successor based on the new BMW 5 Series. This car is a far-reaching concept on an appealing subject: the BMW Concept M5.
Such a car could undoubtedly serve as a stimulus and offer solutions for a future series-production vehicle.

Totally in keeping with the high demands of our clientele, whose main reasons for purchasing a car are performance, style and driving fun, the BMW M5 Concept makes its living out of contrasts: the principle of optimal performance wrapped in a discreet but, by comparison with the 5 Series, distinctive body design.

When seen alongside the new 5 Series, the exterior design of the
BMW Concept M5 has its very own uniqueness. Modified front and rear air dams and side sills, a slightly lower body, side air vents, an exclusive wheel design as well as the four M-type tailpipes, visually accentuate the vehicle's claim to being a sports car.

The first V10 high-revving power unit in a saloon car.

The heart of every M automobile, and that includes the BMW Concept M5, must be its exclusive high-performance power unit with high-revving air intake technology, an engine which sets a benchmark in this field. With this
engine, BMW M is presenting a masterpiece in power unit technology that undoubtedly has just what it takes: the figure 5 is predominant with a 5.0-litre capacity producing around 500 bhp (368 kW) and a maximum torque of at least 500 Nm, these being the kind of figures BMW M considers worthy of a possible new M5.

And the figure ten will also gain in significance, as, for the first time in
BMW history, a series-production saloon car is to be powered by a
ten-cylinder internal combustion engine, the sound and power of which is closely related to the engine currently providing monstrous power to the BMW Williams Formula 1 racing car, without a doubt the most powerful car
on the starting grid.

The engine powering the BMW Concept M5 should be in a position to mobilise the enormous power reserves required to assist this unique sports saloon car in achieving a remarkable driving performance. Engineers at BMW M envisage the car accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) over the classic distance in well under 5 seconds, the 200 km/h mark being reached in just 13 seconds.

It is not power alone that makes an M power unit so unique.

The technology of this newly-developed ten-cylinder engine should not be perceivable by single-dimensional power or sheer performance alone, but first and foremost by the method of achieving such performance. M power featured in the new BMW Concept M5 will once again rise to the occasion and become a perfect example of what is technically feasible and appropriate.

This is evident not only in the extremely appealing design of a BMW high-performance engine. Needless to say, this specially developed BMW M engine incorporates typical features such as high-pressure VANOS, individual throttle butterflies, engine electronics designed by our own engineers and based on knowledge gained from Formula 1 racing as well as traverse
force-regulated oil supply.

BMW M engineers would not focus on sheer torque alone, but first and foremost on engine power, a sign of effective utilisation of the undoubtedly very substantial performance potential that is available.

Moreover, the BMW Concept M5 stands out from others by having the most innovative drive concept in its class. Thanks to a superior gearbox solution, the driver can benefit from a completely new 7-speed SMG, a rapid manual gear-shift and, if required, comfortable cruising. This piece of technical mastery also has its origins in Formula 1 synergism.

Optimum driving behaviour, whether in town or on the Nürburgring.

The designers of the BMW Concept M5 were, of course, eager to succeed against competition in building the lightest car, as BMW wishes to continue pursuing the concept of intelligent lightweight construction in order to achieve a high level of longitudinal and lateral dynamics. As seen on the new 5 and 6 Series, BMW has already presented an innovative example of a lightweight front end construction. BMW M engineers aspired to achieve the best power-to-weight ratio in this market segment, thereby fully utilising their abundant experience in suspension design.

Based on the excellent all-aluminium suspension of the new BMW 5 Series, with the addition of some elements from the new BMW 7 Series, they have designed the BMW Concept M5 for maximum comfort when driving for longer periods on motorways or in stop-and-go city traffic, as well as for putting on a good show when racing round the north loop of the Nürburgring. In addition to a specially tuned Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), a variable M-type limited-slip differential, which we are already familiar with from the BMW M3, ensures optimum driving behaviour in all situations.

The 9½ inch light-alloy rear wheels, manufactured especially for the BMW Concept M5, boast specially designed, extra wide 285/35 ZR 19 tyres. At the front there are 255/40 ZR 19 tyres on 8½ inch wheels, controlled by a newly designed Servotronic steering which is fitted as standard. A reinforced breaking system developed especially for the BMW Concept M5 enables the driver to fully control the engine's exceptional performance.

Equipment in a class of its own.

Needless to say, the BMW Concept M5 also offers scores of ideas for equipping the car with particularly exclusive and sporty options. Without going into detail right now, it can be said that the special solutions required to satisfy the demanding customer's preferences in this particular market segment have been realised.

When exactly the concept of a series-produced M5 will be realized cannot be confirmed at the present time. However, it can be assumed that a successor to the extremely popular BMW M5, based on the BMW Concept M5 now being exhibited, could possibly go on sale during the course of the year 2004.

High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/1.jpg

High res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/2.jpg

High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/3.jpg

High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/4.jpg

High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/5.jpg