BMW's M diesels: the official details
5-series, X6 and X5 tri-turbo M cars to be first offerings of M Performance sub-brand
BMW has finally revealed the full details of its forthcoming range of diesel M cars, the first to come under the new 'M Performance Automobiles' banner and the first to get BMW's new extra-torquey tri-turbo diesel engines.
First to arrive will be the £60,325 BMW X5 M50d and the £62,260 BMW X6 M50d, which both land in Blighty in June, while the M550d and M550d Touring (praise be - an M-badged 5-series wagon!!) launches in October.
All the diesel Ms will get the same version of the new treble-turbo Twinpower 3.0-litre straight-six diesel, an M-developed powerplant that effortlessly outpunches any previous diesel efforts from Bee-Em.
The key stats you'll need to remember for pub-talk ammo are 381hp, 545lb ft of torque (between 2,000 and 3,000rpm). Which is pretty impressive - and even more so when you consider that the 5-series version emits just 165g/km of CO2, the same as the 535d, but with almost 70hp more to offer.
That power and torque translates, via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, to 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds for the X5 and 5.3 seconds for the X6, while the M550d will manage the same sprint in 4.7 seconds for the saloon and 4.9 seconds for the Touring.
The diesel side of things, meanwhile, combines with BMW's now familiar Efficient Dynamics gubbins (stop-start, brake energy regeneration, etc) to provide impressive fuel economy figures. BMW claims 37.7mpg on the combined cycle for the X5, with the X6 managing 36.7mpg. The 5-series manages 44.7mpg in saloon form and 44.1mpg in estate shape.
Talking of xDrive, we understand that the M550d will only be available as the four-wheel-drive M550d xDrive model. Since BMW won't sell a 4wd 5-series in the UK, that means it'll be for left-hook continetal Europeans only.
To justify the use of the hallowed M badge there are some dynamic tweaks too, with bespoke chassis settings, steering ratios and even some chassis bits and bobs taken from full-on M models.
Inside, bespoke stainless steel sill plates, leather-bound dashboards and M steering wheels and seats smarten up the ambience, while mild exterior styling tweaks set the cars apart from ordinary BMWs.
If you want to delve truly deeply into the nitty-gritty of the new M diesels' specs, please do so here.
No slippy dif? I guess the 'proper' M cars need an edge over their diesel siblings...
Deeply impressive.
I bet BMW have been itching to have something like this to sell into the user chooser market, but have had to wait until either a) their tech was up to it, or (more likely) b) they could figure a way to fiddle the EU emissions testing!
(Reposted since my original post seemed to end up in its own thread...)
edit again I was right and PH was wrong - they will be 4 wheel drive only but not for uk unless special order as only left hand drive.
It means i won't have to look at it for very long as it surges past me while carrying a fat person who has no understanding of the mathmatical relationship between torque and horsepower to his meeting where he will bore some poor bd to death while talking about his diesel while they both know that a car that powerful and expensive should have a petrol engine.
Of and 12 pages
It means i won't have to look at it for very long as it surges past me while carrying a fat person who has no understanding of the mathmatical relationship between torque and horsepower to his meeting where he will bore some poor bd to death while talking about his diesel while they both know that a car that powerful and expensive should have a petrol engine.
Of and 12 pages
They probably make more sense for more people than the petrol Ms, really - I'm sure they'll out-sell them by some margin. Personally, I have no wish to try one though.
it's a shame they aren't doing petrol versions....i guess, on the face of things, this is a watered down M5 with a diesel engine. a watered down petrol M5 would nice for £15k less than an M5.
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