Wednesday 9th November 2005

BMW M5 Sports Wagon spotted

High-performance estate circulates the 'Ring

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BMW 5-Series Touring

The latest high-performance BMW estate, the M5 Sports Wagon, has been spotted circulating at the 'Ring (see link to spy shot below).

It'll house the now-familiar 5-litre 507bhp V10 that's found in the M5 saloon, and which shoves the 1,830Kg four-door to 60mph in 4.7 seconds.

At present, the top performing 5-Series Touring is the 550i M Sport with a price tag of £47,775, whose 4.8-litre V8 pumps out 367bhp and 362lb-ft of torque at a lazy 3,400rpm, propelling the load lugger with a manual gearbox to 60mph in 5.6 seconds. Expect the M5 version to improve on that figure.

• Autoweek spy shot

[vixpy1]

The only car a family man would ever need?

I think so

I want one!

[gibo993]

This is the car I have waited for, Hurry up!

[dazren]

Should give the E55 and RS6 some competition.

O/T Interesting article in The Times yesterday (p57), mentioning the premiums in the UK for E60 M5 have dissappeared in the last four weeks. Also metioned that as a result the real delivery times had dropped from 2 years to 6 months. Excellent news for those on the waiting list.

DAZ

>> Edited by dazren on Wednesday 9th November 13:25

[GregE240]

Daz, does mean Lee is going to get his any quicker?

[dazren]

GregE240 said:

Daz, does mean Lee is going to get his any quicker?

I haven't spoken to him since reading the article, but I bloody hope so.

DAZ

O/T Gibo993, thanks for the demo of the Tubi Rumoure at VW a few sundays ago. Didn't realise you were a "posting" PHer at the time.

>> Edited by dazren on Wednesday 9th November 16:15

[dinkel]

vixpy1 said:

The only car a family man would ever need? I think so I want one!

That was my comment when the M5 came out . . . Lottery

[johnjr]

Finally BMW has realised it can take on the E55 and RS6 and being a Beemer will do the job properly. where's mine!

[inttap]

Unlikely to be a runwaway success - that's what history tells us - Old M5 Touring, RS6, Big Merc Estates.

An M3 Touring would make more sense (RS2, RS4)

[bcom tom]

I normally think the estate versions or cars look a lot better, eg all audis, 3 series etc, however, not quite sure about this one. Still, no better way to scare a family and a dog.

[Witchfinder]

inttap said:

Unlikely to be a runwaway success - that's what history tells us - Old M5 Touring, RS6, Big Merc Estates.

I never knew there was an old M5 touring! I generally prefer estate cars to saloons, but for me, BMWs should always been saloons or coupes. I'd have an RS6 Avant over a saloon, but I'd take the M5 saloon over this M5 estate.

However, it's academic really. By the time anything like that depreciates enough for me to buy, it'd be about 10 years old.

[daver]

inttap said:

An M3 Touring would make more sense (RS2, RS4)

Count me in for that. Lop a couple of cylinders off the V10 to leave a 4.0 V8 with 400Bhp in a 3er Touring (few hundred kilos lighter than the 5er) and you have all your family practicalities catered for in a car that's still a hoot when you're out on your own.

[bmw114]

Witchfinder said:

inttap said: Unlikely to be a runwaway success - that's what history tells us - Old M5 Touring, RS6, Big Merc Estates. I never knew there was an old M5 touring! I generally prefer estate cars to saloons, but for me, BMWs should always been saloons or coupes. I'd have an RS6 Avant over a saloon, but I'd take the M5 saloon over this M5 estate. However, it's academic really. By the time anything like that depreciates enough for me to buy, it'd be about 10 years old.

They only made the M5 Touring in left hand drive.

The boss at Jay Mec had a Touring M5 made from a Touring body and M5 Running gear, I think that is the only right hand drive in existance.

Whether a right hand drive one would have sold any way is debatable.

[shotokan]

Impressive mech & tech, no doubt, but it's HIDEOUSLY ugly! Dog's ass of a car

An RS6 would get the my vote...few £k's worth of tuning (turbo, exhaust, suspension, brakes) and it would be much quicker + much cheaper.

[paulothegangsta]

This reflects the increasing Mumsification of supercars. (Cayenne, electric everything, cup holders etc) Coming soon - a Ferrari with a kennel and babyseat. BMW need to sort out their corporate strategy, and put an end to this crummy M-sport badge thing, yet another marketing gimmick - like saying Bentley are British. Why don't they keep M cars completly seperate, keep them subtle in looks and forget the saps that want estates. I thought the point of the M badge was 'No Compromise', putting a big boot is compromise, just a matter of time before they release M badged makeup and M high performance dashboard wipes...

Just a thought.

[polisher]

Hi
For those of you who didn't know. There was a M5 Touring I have one of the 891 produced in Avus Blue with two tone leather. Its a 92 and has the 3.8l straight 6 pulling 341bhp. 0-60mph was 5.9 seconds and this was 14 years ago! I can tell you it is an absolute dream to drive...... with the added advantage of cheap 5 series panels and standard trim! It's just a pussycat really until you top 4000rpm then it's a real hoot to drive.... All I can say is roll on the E61 M5 Touring it'll be the ONLY car you'll ever need. If anyone wants one they are about but its needs to be a well cared example as sorting things like the suspension and electrics can be expensive.

[Zod]

paulothegangsta said:

This reflects the increasing Mumsification of supercars. (Cayenne, electric everything, cup holders etc) Coming soon - a Ferrari with a kennel and babyseat. BMW need to sort out their corporate strategy, and put an end to this crummy M-sport badge thing, yet another marketing gimmick - like saying Bentley are British. Why don't they keep M cars completly seperate, keep them subtle in looks and forget the saps that want estates. I thought the point of the M badge was 'No Compromise', putting a big boot is compromise, just a matter of time before they release M badged makeup and M high performance dashboard wipes... Just a thought.

I think that is a bit harsh. I hate seeing M badges on non-M cars, but I don't have an issue with an M5 touring.