Initial reports BMW would be offering a rear-wheel-drive version of the mighty-sounding 550d appear hasty: a BMW UK source has told us that the 550d will not be appearing on the UK market in any form.
So no ‘diesel M5’ for us then.
Why? Well, the official line is the cost of engineering the 550d to right-hand drive. But there’s a bit more to it than that. The engine has been developed as an xDrive four-wheel-drive powertrain – fine for the X models and for European markets where four-wheel-drive BMW saloons are an established product.
But BMW UK is clearly beholden to the ideal that its saloon models must always be rear-wheel drive and that introducing a standalone four-wheel-drive mega-diesel 5 into the mix would mess with our heads. It was also suggested putting 546lb ft of torque through the rear wheels only would be too much for the drivetrain, let alone drivers.
Ultimately the UK is probably the only right-hand-drive market that would have any enthusiasm for a right-hook 550d. And however much we like the idea of such a car the number that would actually realistically sell makes the case for building it untenable. Are we really ready to pay M5 money for a diesel 5 Series, no matter how mighty? BMW clearly thinks not.
So for the foreseeable future the fastest diesel 5 will remain the 535d and while a UK market 550d hasn’t been entirely ruled out it’s not going to happen any time soon. So don’t hold your breath.