We were supposed to see the 2012 BMW M5 in dealer showrooms this spring, but BMW isn’t done tuning their uber-sedan just yet. That’s fine with us, since BMW has a long history of sweating the details on their M cars, so we don’t mind waiting patiently for the new M5 to hit dealer showrooms by year end. When it does, we know it’ll lose the last generation’s V-10 engine in favor of a twin-turbo V-8, similar to the one used in the X5 M and X6 M. In the M5, you can expect a higher state of tune, and BMW Blog reports that the car will be rated at 578 horsepower and 530 foot-pounds of torque. It’s too early to know exactly what the performance specs will be, but BMW Blog speculates the 0 to 60 run will happen in just 4.4 seconds. Watch the pre-production M5 being put through the paces at BMW’s Miramas, France, test track in the video below.
Source: YouTube
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
