BMW M5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| BMW M5 | |
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| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Production | 1984–present |
| Class | Full-size luxury car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Platform | FR |
| Related | BMW 5 Series |
| Similar | Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Cadillac STS-V Audi RS6 Jaguar XKR |
The BMW M5 is the high-performance version of the BMW 5-Series automobile made by BMW M GmbH. M5 versions of the E28, E34, E39 and E60 5-Series have been made.
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[edit] E28 M5 (1984-1987)
- Main article: BMW M5 (E28)
The first M5, based on the E28 5-Series, made its debut at the 1984 Amsterdam Motor Show. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon (sedan), but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. The M5 was handbuilt by Motorsport technicians and at its launch was the fastest production saloon (sedan) in the world.
The M5 was offered in four different versions. The first version was the Left Hand Drive (LHD) Euro Spec M5. The second version was the Right Hand Drive (RHD) Spec M5. The third version was the North American Spec (NA or so-called 1988) M5. The fourth version was the South African (ZA) Spec M5.
The LHD, RHD Euro Spec M5s and the ZA spec M5s had the M88/3 powerplant which delivered 286 hp DIN (210 kW) whereas the North American 1988 M5 was equipped with the S38 6-Cylinder engine that had a catalytic converter, which reduced the power output to 256 hp DIN (191 kW). The S38 differed from the M88/3 in that it had 9.8:1 compression versus the M88/3's 10.5:1. The S38 also used a dual-row timing chain where the M88/1 used a single-row chain. Initially 500 were to be made for the US Market, BMW later increased production to as many as 1,370 units for the US and Canadian Markets although the generally accepted figure is 1,244 units sold.
The NA Spec Models are unique in that technically there were all finished in Schwarz (Black) with Natur (Tan) interiors. The otherwise virtually identical Canadian-Spec M5s were also available with Black interiors as an option however a handful of US Models were also equipped with Black interiors.
US VINs range from 2791000-2792000 and 2875000-2875320 Car # 2791000 is not known to have been built and not all VINs are known to have been used. Car # 2791001 has been retained by BMW of North America as part of their Mobile Tradition collection.
While every NA-Spec E28 M5 was a 1988 Model Year car, production of North American specification M5s commenced in November of 1986 and ended in November of 1987. Excepting 96 units that were assembled in kit form at BMW's Plant in Rosslyn, South Africa, all E28 M5s were assembled by hand at BMW Motorsport in Garching.
With a total production of 2,191 the E28 M5 remains the rarest regular production BMW Motorsport car.
[edit] Specification
- DC91: (LHD EURO) => M88/3 engine 286 hp (DIN) 588 Units produced
- DC92: (RHD EURO) => M88/3 engine 286 hp (DIN) 187 Units produced
- DC93: (LHD US) => S38B35 engine 256 hp (SAE) 1,320 Units produced
- DC98: (RHD SA) => M88/3 engine 286 hp (DIN) 96 Units produced (DC98 and DC99)
- DC99: (RHD SA) => M88/3 naucer engine 286 hp (DIN)
[edit] Performance
At the time of sale, BMW quoted the following (relatively poor) 0-60 times to give the impression that the E28 M5 did not outperform the more expensive, heavier and top-of-the-range E24 M635csi (BMW M6).
- (Euro) - 286 hp 0-60 mph - 6.2 s. Top Speed: 153 mph
- (USA) - 256 hp 0-60 mph - 6.5 s. Top Speed: 148 mph
[edit] Tuners
- Whilst BMW Motorsport did not build any special versions of the E28 M5, the German tuner Hartge produced the Hartge H35S-24, a 330 PS (325 hp/243 kW) version of the E28 M5. Main modifications over and above the standard E28 M5 were revised cams, a modified exhaust, modified Motronic ECU programming and a revised (and lowered) suspension setup.
- Alpina limited their tuning efforts to the older M30 engine powered models.
- Alpina B7 Turbo 330 hp (0-60: 4,7 sec, 168mph)
[edit] E34 M5 (1988-1995)
- Main article: BMW M5 (E34)
The E34 M5 was produced from 1988 to 1995, although sales in North America started in 1991 and ended in 1993. It was produced at BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany and like the previous M5, was entirely hand-built. It utilized the 535i chassis which was produced at BMW's Dingolfing plant. Assembly was done either by a single M employee or a team of M employees and generally took about two weeks. It is rumored that the test drivers of the E34 M5 could determine who or what team made each specific M5, due to characteristic quirks of the handbuilt nature of the E34 M5. The engines were also built by hand by BMW M technicians. All of the E34 M5 powerplants were built to 5% of advertised output.
The early E34 M5 used an evolution of the 24-valve I6 found in the E28 M5 and E24 M635CSi/M6. Designated S38B36, the engine technically remains a 3.5 L, with a bore of 93.4 mm and stroke of 86 mm for a total capacity of 3535 cc. The added stroke is due to a new forged steel crankshaft, though the camshafts were also changed. Compression was up slightly (10:1 versus 9.8:1). Other adjustments made included an electronically controlled butterfly valve in the intake plenum which provided better low rpm and mid-range power. The engine also featured an improved flywheel, Bosch Motronic fuel injection, equal length stainless steel headers and three way ceramic catalysts. Originally it had a displacement of 3.5 L and produced 315 hp (235 kW), and 266 lb·ft @ 4750 RPM. Cars sold in North America and Switzerland which, due to a different catalytic converter, produced 310 hp (229 kW).
In second half 1991, the engine displacement was increased to 3.8 L with the S38B38, except in North America and South Africa, which continued with the 3.5 L engine. Power was now increased to 340 hp (250 kW) SAE . Also in 1992, a Touring version was introduced in LHD form only 891 cars were made.
The M5 came with an unusual wheel design. From 1988-1992 the M5 featured the M-System wheels. These wheels were 8x17J, but came with a bolted-on wheel cover. Under the cover was a black 5-spoke alloy wheel. The press was critical of the design, often claiming it gave the M5 the appearance of having "white-wall" tires. In 1992 BMW changed the design and a new cover was produced – the M-System II. The original intent of the M-System cover was to direct more air to the brake assembly to increase cooling. The cover actually integrated a fin assembly behind the cover. The M-System II covers, known as the "throwing stars" did not have as much capability to direct air to the brake assemblies. In may 1994, the M5 came with M Parallel wheels that did away with the cover.
[edit] Specification
- HD91 (88-92 LHD Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L - 232 kW/315 hp (DIN) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HD92 (89-91 RHD Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L - 232 kW/315 hp (DIN) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HD93 (89-93 LHD US) I6-24v 3.6 L - 232 kW/310 hp (SAE) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HD98 (90-93 RHD SA) I6-24v 3.6 L - 232 kW/315 hp (DIN) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission) made in South Africa from CKD kit supplied from Germany.
- HC91 (91-94 LHD Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HC91 (94-95 LHD Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 6-speed manual transmission)
- HC92 (92-94 RHD Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HC92 (94-95 RHD Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 6-speed manual transmission)
- HJ91 (92-94 LHD Euro Touring) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 5-speed manual transmission)
- HJ91 (94-95 LHD Euro Touring) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp (SAE) (only available with 6-speed manual transmission)
- 89-95 (ECE/GB/USA) - (no automatic transmission available)
[edit] Performance
- 89-92 (Euro) I6-24v 3.6 L - 232 kW/315 hp 0-60 mph - 6.3 s. Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
- 92-95 (Euro) I6-24v 3.8 L - 250 kW/340 hp 0-60 mph - 5.9. Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph) (electronic limited) 273 km/h (170mph) (without electronic limiter) gps verified in 2003 (3.8 6 speed) vw test track
91-93 (USA) I6-24v 3.6 L - 229kW/311 hp 0-60 mph - 6.4 s. Top speed: 155 mph (electronic limited)
*
[edit] Special versions
- Cecotto Edition — A total of 22 Cecotto E34 M5s were produced with options of having either Lagoon Green metallic (266) and Mauritius Blue metallic paint (287).
- Winkelhock Edition — A total of 51 Winkelhock E34 M5s were produced with the options of having Jet Black (668) with contrasting lower body panels in Sterling Silver metallic paint (244)no foglights and manual rear windows helped to lower the weight.
- 20 Jahre Motorsport Edition — To celebrate BMW Motorsport 20th anniversary, BMW had built 20 specially equipped Euro-spec M5s in late 1992.
- UK Limited Edition — To commemorate the end of right-hand drive E34 M5 production, 50 examples of the E34 M5 Limited Edition were assembled between March and June of 1995.
- Elekta - 20 M5 Tourings were assembled for distribution in Italy. These were finished in either Sterling Silver over Marine Blue leather or British Racing Green over Tobacco leather. All were made in 1995. It is debated as to whether or not these cars constitute a true special edition as they were ordered directly by a group of Italian BMW dealers.
- Alpina B10 3.5 — with 254hp the 5-series could do 0-60 in 7.0 seconds and maximum of 157 mph (252km/h). There is only 572 of this Alpina ever produced, 5speed manual and 4speed automatic.
- Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo — With the 3.5l twin turbocharged I6 Alpina produced about 360hp and launch from 0-60 in 5.1 second and official speed of 181 mph (291km/h). 507 Bi-turbo was made, the 50 last has the M60: s wider front and blue instruments. This was also the fastest 4-door saloon(sedan) to 1996, 5speed manual only.
- Alpina B10 4,0 - with 315hp a tuned version of the ground model (540i) M60B40 4 litre V8, 45 Sedan cars made and only 4 Touring was made between 1993 and 1995, two transmissions 6speed manual (from 1994) and 5speed automatic.
- Alpina B10 4,6 - with 340hp 480Nm with an engine specially made for this model that also have 540i as a ground model, 27 Sedan and 19 Touring was made between 1994 and 1996, two transmissions 6 speed manual and Switchtronic.
[edit] E39 M5 (1998-2003)
Unlike its predecessors, the E39 M5 was not handbuilt at the BMW M GmbH factory; it was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory in Germany.
Introduced in 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show, production did not begin until late October of that year. A total of 20,482 E39 M5s were made from 1998 to 2003. BMW M produced three versions of the E39 M5, the European LHD and RHD versions and the North American specification version.
The E39 M5 had a highly tuned V8 engine based on the M62 engine called the S62, which displaced 4.9 L and produced 400 bhp. The engine featured a 7000 RPM redline, Double-VANOS, which varies the intake and exhaust valves for both cylinder banks, and individual throttle butterflies for each of the cylinders, allowing for a much faster engine response time.
All E39 M5s were equipped with a Getrag Type D six-speed manual transmission with the following gearing ratios:
4.23(1), 2.54(2), 1.62(3), 1.23(4), 1.00(5), 0.83(6)
It is the same transmission used in the E39 540i but some changes were made to cope with the extra power the S62 engine produced. A reinforced clutch, rear differential utilizing a shorter 3.15:1 ratio and a limited slip differential with 25% maximum locking.
The E39 M5 suspension shared its basic aluminium-intensive MacPherson strut/multi-link design of the V8 E39 5 series. However, several changes were made by BMW M. Reduced spring height, 0.9 inch (23 mm) lower. A specific shock valving, thicker front and rear anti-roll bars, polyurethane auxiliary springs and steel balljoints.
Like all V8-powered E39 models, the E39 M5 was equipped with a recirculating-ball steering system. Overall steering ratio was reduced to 14.7 from 17.9 it featured a servotronic vehicle-speed-sensitive power assist that provides two levels of resistance controlled via console mounted Sport button. The Sport button also adjusted the electronic throttle butterflies for faster throttle response. The E39 M5 is equipped with four-wheel vented disc brakes measuring 13.6" in diameter in front and 12.9" in diameter in the rear. On European-specification models, the rotors are of a "floating" two-piece design for reduced risk of warping. Their lower unsprung weight improves ride quality and traction on bumpy surfaces as well. Anti-lock brakes were standard.
During its 5 years in production, there were some cosmetic changes, these include:
- Revised headlight design incorporating illuminated "Angel Eye" rings
- Jeweled Celis tail light design
- Park Distance Control sensors in the front bumper (previously in rear only)
- Thicker three-spoke M steering wheel identical to the one fitted to the E46 M3
- Grey instrument panel
- Improved solar sensor for standard automatic climate control
- Revised navigation/audio unit with larger (6.5-inch) monitor
- Rear head protection airbags added
- Second-generation M Mobility tire repair system in place of earlier version
- Available M Audio System with special tweeters, Kevlar/carbon coaxial speakers and two subwoofers behind the rear console
- Alcantara headliner included with Extended Leather interior (previously only included with Complete Leather)
For the subsequent two model years, changes were limited to the addition of new exterior colors (from 9/01 production) and the upgrade to a DVD-based navigation system (from 9/02 production).
The E39 M5 is capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds* and electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph*, making it the fastest 4-door sedan in the world at that time.
* (factory sheet)
[edit] Trivia
- The E39 M5 was almost not built at all. BMW believed that the 286 bhp 540i was powerful enough, but when Jaguar rolled out the XJR (320hp) and Mercedes-Benz introduced the W-210 E55, which had over 350 bhp (354hp), BMW responded to the competition with a 394 bhp M5. The E39 M5 was the fastest factory line production sedan that time in the world.
[edit] Specification
- 5.0 L V8-32v - 400 hp (294 kW) with catalytic converter
[edit] Performance
- 394 hp (294 kW) 0-62 mph - *4.9 s. Top Speed: 155 mph (250 km/h) (electronic limited), 186 mph (298 km/h ) (without electronic limiter)
* (factory sheet)
[edit] E60 M5 (2004-present)
| E60 (Mark IV) | |
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| Manufacturer | BMW AG |
| Production | 2004 - Present |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 4-door Sedan |
| Platform | FR Platform |
| Engine | 5.0 L V10 |
| Transmission | 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) 6-speed manual |
| Related | BMW 5-Series BMW M6 |
| Similar | Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Audi S/RS 6 Jaguar XKR Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT |
The E60 M5 was introduced in 2004. It has a naturally aspirated 5.0 L BMW V10 S85 engine redlining at 8250 RPM and developing a peak output of 507 PS (373 kW, 500 SAE hp) with 383 ft-lbs of torque. Other key features include a stiffened aluminum chassis and a 7-speed SMG III manual transmission.
The BMW M5, along with the new M6, were designed to use the new SMG III electrohydraulic manual transmission. Therefore, they will initially only be offered with this new transmission except in the USA. The innovative gearbox is very responsive at the track, shifting very quickly, but for open-road driving, it's smoothness depends upon the shift settings. Very fast shifts can be jerky even in full automatic mode. Selecting a slower shift from the five settings available gives a progressively softer change. SMG is automatic, but it does not have the smoothing effect of a torque converter. There was a relative uproar amongst the fans and buyer-base in the US when this was announced—however, BMW announced that 6-speed manual transmission has been available since October 2006 in the North American market based on suggestions from the motoring press. Unfortunately, this gearbox unavoidably slightly reduces acceleration performance. Being the exact same transmission in the E39 version, the manual M5 was marginally slower, since the stability control cannot be disengaged unlike in the SMG version. The US market SMG III cars also lack the "Launch Control" feature which makes maximum performance starts automatically.
The M5 features several F1 inspired engine and transmission controls including launch control, dynamic stability control, and the option of changing to either automatic or manual as well as the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programs in total forming what BMW calls Drivelogic). Manual shifting can be done with either a floor shifter or the steering-column mounted shift paddles (another F1-inspired feature), both of which are fitted to all SMG M5's. The floor shifter is of the type used on manumatic transmissions--it is basically a toggle. Tipping it backward (toward the "+") shifts up, while a forward tip (toward the "-") shifts down. The toggle can be moved to the left to access neutral and reverse. The car also features a "power" button on the steering wheel (labeled "M") which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 hp for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 hp) and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using i-Drive and then activated from P400 using the "M" button.
[edit] Performance
- 0-60 mph: 4.4 s - Road and Track tested 0-60 in 4.3 seconds (February 2006 issue).
- Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph) (electronic limited), 315 km/h (195 mph) (electronic limited upgradable option), and 334+ km/h (206+ mph) (no electronic limiter).
[edit] Innovations
M Sport automobiles have a renowned tradition of offering blistering performance and the comfort of a luxury sedan. The new 2006-2007 M5 features some of BMW latest innovations including a new head-up display, a new iteration of BMW's EDC (Electronic Damper Control), which constantly adjusts the suspension to environmental and vehicular conditions, and can also be set in 3 modes, comfort, normal and sport. Further, the new M5 also features the VANOS variable valve timing system, and EMC (engine management system) which sports the most powerful computer processor currently approved for automobiles, the MS S65 processor. This processor also controls and measures many other now 'standard' safety and performance systems such as the DSC (dynamic stability program), which incorporates traction control as well as various other mechanical and electronic systems.
[edit] Tuners
- BMW Motorsport has not yet produced any special variants of the E60. However, German tuner Hartge has created a modified version without the electronic speed limiter; it also features upgraded wheels and tires to cope with high speed.
- Hamann "Edition Race"--Tuner Hamann produces several E60 variants; the most exotic is "Edition Race," with a wild body-kit, larger wheels and tires, a tuned engine (including removal of the speed limiter), and customized interior details. It has a top speed of about 192 mph (down from the stock 206+ due to the drag from the wider tires).
[edit] E61 M5 Touring (2007-present)
The E61 M5 Touring was introduced in 2007, only the second M version of the 5-Series Touring after the E34. It shares the same drivetrain with its sedan sibling and serves as a rival to the Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- BMW M5 Official BMW M5 Site
