Wednesday 7th May 2014

BMW M5 30th anniversary details

UPDATE: BMW confirms 600hp and limited run of 300 units for celebratory 30th edition M5

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UPDATE: So it turns out, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the details leaked about the M5 30 Years were entirely correct. 600hp, 516lb ft and 300 cars have today been confirmed by BMW.

Just in case you'd forgotten what you'd bought into

Anything new then? Well yes actually, including a 3.9-second sprint to 62mph and identical MPG and CO2 stats to the standard car (28.5mpg and 231g/km). BMW says the additional power has been achieved through "tweaks to the engine management and an increase in charge pressure."

BMW claims the M5 30 Years is "much more than merely a stylish anniversary version of the segment-founding high-performance saloon - it represents a new high point in 30 years of success." But of course the stylish aspect hasn't been ignored. The '30 Jahre' badges being considered have made it to the wing vents, and the badge in front of the passenger seat sits on a strip of 'Aluminium Trace' trim. Of course it's nothing more than decoration, but the Alcantara M wheel does look especially nice.

There's still no word on final pricing or UK availabilty for the 30 Years M5 though. You'll be the first to here when they're announced!

More pictures below.

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Comp pack part of 'forced combination'. Right

ORIGINAL STORY: Info has begun to emerge across the internet of a 30th anniversary edition of the BMW M5. Through E28, E34, E39, E60 and F10 generations it has established itself as the de facto supersaloon of choice, even if rivals have closed the gap recently.

If the details that have been leaked so far are accurate, the M5 '30 Jahre' should be a car more than worthy of the occasion. Based on the Competition Package version, it brings more power (600hp, now more than twice the output of an E28) and another 14lb ft of torque, now 516lb ft. Otherwise it's mechanically identical to the Competition, but then that's hardly a bad place to start.

Of course there are plenty of cosmetic trinkets to mark the anniversary M5 out. The exterior includes sill badges, wheels in jet black/polished aluminium and Frozen Dark Silver paint as the only colour choice. Additional badging is said to be 'under consideration'.

Unique to the anniversary car inside are the embossed seats, alcantara wheel and small badge above the glovebox. The latter suggests 300 M5s will be built to this spec but there's nothing confirmed on that yet.

Given there's an M Festival at the Nurburgring next month, it seems likely the M5 30 Years will make its debut there. Production will apparently commence for four months between July and November. As soon as anything official is announced, we'll keep you updated. Meanwhile, a quick peruse of the classifieds reveals the earliest standard F10s are already less than £40K. Just 560hp will have to suffice here though.

[Sources: Bimmerpost, MotorAuthority]

[Mermaid]

All of them are great value, and provide a great motoring experience. I like the E34 - old school sort of - best VFM IMO. Good chassis.

[epom]

Only 600 ?? pfffttt

[Dave Hedgehog]

could be interesting

have they made it sound good yet or does it still need artificial noise via the speakers ?

[foxhounduk]

Dave Hedgehog said:

could be interesting

have they made it sound good yet or does it still need artificial noise via the speakers ?

Lol. It is precisely this reason - the artifical noise pumped through the speakers - that puts me right off an F10.

[Schermerhorn]

People say that the standard model puts out very very close to 600bhp anyway even though BMW say the F10 model is running at 552bhp. Certainly Motortrend have disputed BMW's official figure.

[Gruber]

Hmmmm. Looks like I sold my e28 a year early...

[ecs0set]

Not feeling the love for the latest iteration. E60 or E39 or E34 for me.

Comfort Access is a forced combination? Really?

[g3org3y]

Still persisting with the stupid afterthought grill badge I notice.

[TheAngryDog]

ecs0set said:

Not feeling the love for the latest iteration. E60 or E39 or E34 for me.

Comfort Access is a forced combination? Really?

Totally agree, I just do not get the F10, it doesnt do anything for me. It looks chintzy and also just like a bigger 3 series. I'd rather keep my E39.

I wouldnt say no to an E28 mind!

[vescaegg]

Whilst knowing the catastrophic depreciation these historically suffer, to see a 2012 model for sale with a cost starting with a 3 is still unbelievable to me.

Painful!

[GTEYE]

vescaegg said:

Whilst knowing the catastrophic depreciation these historically suffer, to see a 2012 model for sale with a cost starting with a 3 is still unbelievable to me.

Painful!

Although it was a rather leggy example, 59000 miles at 2 years old, so perhaps not really that surprising.

I would imagine 2 year old high miles M5s are not that sought after..at high prices I should add

[BeirutTaxi]

Too heavy, needs to be stripped out like a Caterham etc.

[Clivey]

ecs0set said:

Not feeling the love for the latest iteration. E60 or E39 or E34 for me.

Me too. Not entrirely sure why either. I don't like the idea of the engine / exhaust noise coming through the speakers but hopefully that's something that can be disabled one way or another.

[burwoodman]

GTEYE said:

vescaegg said:

Whilst knowing the catastrophic depreciation these historically suffer, to see a 2012 model for sale with a cost starting with a 3 is still unbelievable to me.

Painful!

Although it was a rather leggy example, 59000 miles at 2 years old, so perhaps not really that surprising.

I would imagine 2 year old high miles M5s are not that sought after..at high prices I should add

what a legend, who ever clocked up 30k p.a in that.

[burwoodman]

GTEYE said:

vescaegg said:

Whilst knowing the catastrophic depreciation these historically suffer, to see a 2012 model for sale with a cost starting with a 3 is still unbelievable to me.

Painful!

Although it was a rather leggy example, 59000 miles at 2 years old, so perhaps not really that surprising.

I would imagine 2 year old high miles M5s are not that sought after..at high prices I should add

what a legend, who ever clocked up 30k p.a in that.

[TheAngryDog]

Clivey said:

Me too. Not entrirely sure why either. I don't like the idea of the engine / exhaust noise coming through the speakers but hopefully that's something that can be disabled one way or another.

Remove the speakers

[Clivey]

TheAngryDog said:

Remove the speakers

I had a more "elegant" solution in mind. I've heard that removing the "sound symposer" disables the sound system entirely (meaning no radio etc.). Anyone know if there's truth to this?

[Gecko1978]

I have always loved M cars since seeing an E39 M3 Evo Coup in metalic Violet as a spotty 16 year old reving its way down my local high street, fell in love with fast german saloons then and love these. I also assume that when the depreciation takes affect it allows many enthusiats to get into one and still maintian and run one well

[g3org3y]

BeirutTaxi said:

Too heavy, needs to be stripped out like a Caterham etc.

Last real M5 car was the E60 E39 E34 E28.

[iloveboost]

Schermerhorn said:

People say that the standard model puts out very very close to 600bhp anyway even though BMW say the F10 model is running at 552bhp. Certainly Motortrend have disputed BMW's official figure.

Yeah and the early 335i N54 engines made over 280hp at the wheels or about 320hp at the engine. I know many dynos over-read (especially dynojet ones?) but that's what I read as well.