The BMW M5 is one of the best high performance sports sedans on the market, offering not only a lot of luxury features but also a massively powerful drivetrain which could easily beat any high performance super-car. The current model has been around since 2013 and it remained pretty much unchanged since then which was to be expected. However, the new 5-Series has just been refreshed and most of the new changes are likely going to be carried over to the 2017 BMW M5 which even though is currently under wraps, it has been spied testing at the arctic circle and the result is quite impressive.
2017 BMW M5 Release Date And price
It seems that the new 2017 BMW M5 is going to receive a slightly new design, a different interior as well as a lot of changes under the bodywork. The actual weight of the car is going to remain quite similar to that of the current model and that’s quite big news because it means BMW is actually working on its chassis to make the car both stiffer and lighter considering there will be some added weight from its powertrain. The release date for the 2017 model is likely going to be at the Frankfurt Auto Show in the fall of 2015 while the car will be ready for sale by the mid of 2016. Its price will also change slightly with the cheapest version going for around $100,000, nearly $6,000 more than the ongoing version while the new performance version could fetch well over $120,000, making it one of the most expensive cars BMW has.
BMW M5 2017 Engine
Engine wise, the 2017 BMW M5 is still going to use the same 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the current model but BMW is going to make quite a few changes to it. Firstly, the base power level will offer around 580 horsepower which is still 5 more than what the competition package did. The new competition package on the other hand is very likely going to offer well over 600 horsepower in order to allow the M5 to at least compete with the 640 horsepower CTS-V and the upcoming 650 horsepower Audi RS6. In accordance with the increase in power, the new M5 should also be quite a bit faster with an expected 0 to 60 MPH time of less than 3.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 MPH for the standard model and around 190 MPH for the competition model.
The biggest news come in the form of a new transmission mode which for the first time ever is going to mean a four wheel drive M5, or the xDrive M5 which is going to make use of a different version of the 7 speed dual-clutch automatic from the base version. The 6 speed manual on the other hand is quite likely going to be discontinued all together. An unrestricted version might also become available with the rear wheel drive system only, version which could hit more than 206 MPH, making it even faster than the CTS-V.
Interior And Exterior
On the inside there are also going to be a few changes which are going to make the 2017 BMW M5 a more pleasant car to drive. Firstly, the base trim level will now get aluminum or carbon fiber inserts instead of the usual wood or odd looking chromed pieces which is a big improvement. On top of that, the instrument cluster is very likely going to receive a big 10 inch screen instead of the 2 usual dials which could also be carried over to the lesser versions of the 5-Series. The exterior of the 2017 BMW M5 on the other hand is quite possibly going to be carried over with only minor changes like new LED headlights and tail lights, a new exhaust as well as different branding for the xDrive model.
