(August 22, 2017) WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — BMW has unveiled the all-new 2018 BMW M5, a car that since 1984 has been regarded as the quintessential high-performance sports sedan. The previous generations of the BMW M5 all possess purebred racing genes and acquitted themselves impressively on the racetrack as well as on the road.

The all-new BMW M5 represents the 6th generation and, like those that have come before it, delivers on these promises – and more. The all-new 2018 M5 will also debut the M-specific all-wheel-drive system, M xDrive. This new system allows the M5 to reach new heights of dynamic performance and delivers poise in all driving situations.

Frank van Meel, chairman of the Board of Management at BMW M GmbH, explains the benefits of this pioneering drivetrain technology: “Thanks to M xDrive, the all-new BMW M5 can be piloted with the familiar blend of sportiness and unerring accuracy both on the racetrack and out on the open road, while also delighting drivers with its significantly enhanced directional stability and controllability right up to the limits of performance when driving in adverse conditions such as on wet roads or snow.”



When the engine is first started, the all-new BMW M5 will be in all-wheel-drive mode (4WD) with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) turned on. The driver is then able to vary the handling characteristics of the M5 by enabling various driving dynamics modes, including a rear-wheel-drive mode with no DSC. In this 2WD mode, the all-new BMW M5 offers drivers the opportunity to experience BMW’s traditional rear-wheel drive characteristics.

Under the hood of the all-new BMW M5 is the latest and most advanced version of the renowned 4.4-liter V8 engine featuring M TwinPower Turbo technology with an output increase from the previous generation of 40 hp and 53 lb-ft, this new engine develops 600 hp and 553 lb-ft of peak torque to promise explosive acceleration and formidable performance.

The twin-turbo V8 unit propels the M5 via the new 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and teams up with the M xDrive system to transfer all of the high-revving turbocharged engine’s might to the road, and allows a 0–60 mph acceleration run in a mere 3.2 seconds, making it the quickest and most agile to date.

The all-new 2018 BMW M5 will be available at certified BMW Centers in spring 2018 with pricing to be announced closer to market launch.

The all-new BMW M5 features a 4.4-liter V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology. The high-revving power unit in the all-new BMW M5 has received a thorough overhaul and delivers its exceptional output of 600 hp from 5,700 to 6,600 rpm, while the tremendous peak torque of 553 lb-ft is on tap from just 1,800 rpm and remains constant all the way up to 5,700 rpm.

The engine characteristics can be changed at the push of a button from the basic Efficient setting to either Sport or Sport Plus, resulting in a more crisp response to movements of the accelerator.

The M engineers have implemented a raft of enhancements to endow the twin-turbo V8 with its phenomenal performance capabilities. These include newly developed twin-scroll turbochargers now delivering 24.46 psi of relative boost pressure as well as a higher maximum injection pressure of 350 bar (up from 200 bar).

This allows shorter injection times and improved atomization of the fuel for sharper engine response as well as more efficient mixture preparation. Improvements have also been made to the lubrication and cooling systems, including an oil pan with a small front sump and new indirect charge air cooling units, which are more effective than its predecessor despite being almost 20% smaller in size. The oil supply system uses a fully variable, map-controlled pump and has been designed for weekend escapades to the racetrack, where it can handle very high levels of longitudinal and lateral acceleration.

The cross-bank exhaust manifolds for the all-new BMW M5 have also been modified to optimize the flow of energy from the exhaust gas to the turbine wheels of the two twin-scroll turbochargers ensuring the best possible gas-exchange cycle. By fitting a Helmholtz resonator between the two silencers of the dual exhaust system, the M engineers have reduced its weight by 11 lbs. The sound from the active flap-controlled exhaust system varies depending on the selected mode for the engine characteristics, while the M Sound Control button allows further acoustic customization.

The twin-scroll twin-turbo V8’s power is channeled to the road via the newly developed M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The rear-biased set-up ensures that the front wheels only come into play when the rear wheels are not able to transmit any more torque to the road and additional tractive force is required. The main hardware components of M xDrive are based on the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system and the Active M Differential technology. Central M specific driving dynamics control software precisely to orchestrate the various components, providing enhanced traction, agility and directional stability at all times.

The reinforced drivetrain allows it to cope with the higher torque, the rear-biased configuration and the 2WD mode. While the transfer case intelligently splits the drive torque between the front and rear wheels, the Active M Differential is responsible for then distributing the drive flow between the rear wheels varying the locking effect as the situation demands.

With M xDrive, stabilizing interventions from the DSC system are only required in extreme situations, enabling the engine’s tremendous power to be converted into propulsive force with virtually zero losses. The M xDrive system allows drivers to command the all-new BMW M5 with even greater precision and directional accuracy to respond sensitively and directly to the driver’s inputs, which in turn enable fewer steering corrections when driving at the limit.

Drivers can configure M xDrive at any time to suit their needs. Even in the default setting with both DSC and 4WD activated, the all-new BMW M5 allows a certain amount of slip at the rear wheels when accelerating out of corners to produce the agility for which M models are renowned while remaining perfectly controllable at all times.