Geneva Preview: BMW shows off M5 Touring
Click image for large high-res photo gallery
For those of us who love the practicality of station wagons, BMW has built what may well be the ultimate appliance: the M5 Touring. The recipe is simple: take one 5-series wagon, plant Bimmer's 507-horsepower V10 in the engine bay, hook it to the 7-speed SMG, and infuse the whole shebang with the style, handling and attitude you've come to expect from a car sporting the "M" badge.
Only this time, the sub-5-second 0-60 time is associated with a car that will happily transport the wife, kids and associated luggage (maybe the family pooch, too) on whatever road trip you happen to dream up. We'd be dreaming up trips to vacation spots that are far away, with scenic, curvy roads connecting the origin and destinantion. Then again, a straight-through blast down I-95 to visit the Mouse would probably be fine, too. We're confident good time would be made.
Alas it's all a dream, because we're not scheduled to get The Practical Man's M5. Actually, with a sticker price of over £67,000 -- the equivalent of $131,000 in the greenbacks -- it wouldn't make it into the average family's garage anyway. That doesn't mean it's not worth swooning over, though. Speaking as someone with the whole family unit + dogs at home, staring at pictures of this thing is the grown-up equivalent of the Countach poster I had on my bedroom wall back when being a grown-up was the furthest thing from my mind.
Press release after the jump.
[Source: BMW]
Gallery: BMW M5 Touring
PRESS RELEASE:
New 5 Series range introduces the ultimate driving estate and brand new efficiency and safety technologies
BMW has announced details of the revised 5 Series Saloon and Touring range, topped off by the new BMW M5 Touring. From its launch in 2003, the E60 5 Series delivered year-on-year sales records and received numerous accolades. The new 5 Series is set to build on that success with more performance, efficiency, practicality and owner appeal. Offering new engine technology to increase performance yet improve economy by up to 25 per cent, and class-leading comfort-focused equipment such as Lane Departure Warning System, the new 5 Series is set to remain the benchmark Executive car.
The new BMW M5 Touring
Powered by the back-to-back International Engine of the Year-winning engine driving through BMW's unique seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox, the new M5 Touring offers up to 1,650 litres of boot space for owners needing to move sizeable loads...... quickly.
Performance
With the previous M5 Touring (E34) only available in left-hand drive, the arrival of the new M5 Touring marks the first time the high-performance estate has been offered to British customers. Powered by the same normally aspirated 5.0-litre V-10 cylinder engine as its Saloon counterpart, the new M5 Touring redlines at 8,250rpm. 507hp and 520Nm of torque propel the car from zero to 62mph in 4.8 seconds (only 0.1 seconds slower than the Saloon). Without the 155mph electronic limiter the new M5 Touring would be capable of achieving 200mph while still transporting the largest of loads.
This balance of ultimate practicality and performance is summed up by Lee Connolly, BMW UK's Product Manager for the new M5 Touring "The M5 Touring will be the perfect car for delivering supercar owners' luggage to their holiday homes in France or Spain. Usefully, their luggage will arrive before they do!"
Transmission
These levels of performance are in part made possible by the world's first seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox with Drivelogic in a production car. The gearbox features eleven different change patterns to offer the driver a personally-tuned driving experience - six settings vary speed and response of gear change in a manual mode and there are five automatic modes. A Launch Control function delivers the fastest possible acceleration from standstill.
Traction
Like the Saloon, the new M5 Touring features a three-stage DSC+ traction control system. The default mode offers drivers high levels of performance and stability. M Dynamic Mode allows an enthusiastic driver the ability to push the M5 Touring to, and beyond, the absolute limits of traction, permitting some sideslip and countersteering before the system cuts in and is selected in the M Drive Manager (see below). If the DSC button is pressed, DSC+ is completely disengaged.
BMW M's variable M differential also offers the highest levels of driving stability and traction, especially when accelerating out of high-speed corners, with up to 100 per cent of drive being transferred to the rear wheel with most traction. Finally, the Electronic Damper Control (EDC) system offers three suspension settings to complement the prevailing driving conditions.
MDrive Manager packages these programmable settings, so that the touch of a single button sets the car up as required. Like a boy visiting his favourite sweet shop, the M5 driver can select his preferred settings for power, gearbox, EDC and DSC modes, Head-up Display and the degree of Active Seat bolster support, via the iDrive menu. One-touch of the M Drive button on the steering wheel then selects the desired combination and instantly changes the character of the car. One moment the M5 Touring is a placid and practical family car, the next it's more akin to a track day special.
Exterior design
Visually, the new M5 Touring follows BMW M's philosophy of high performance shrouded in the body of a standard car with discreet styling enhancements that highlight the potential under the skin. The larger front air dam, side sills, monikered side gills and a rear valance with BMW M's quad tailpipes protruding all hint at the performance of the world's most dynamic estate car.
Interior
Internally the new M5 Touring features the same enhancements as the 'standard' 5 Series (see below) as well as offering the Active Seat bolsters from the M5 Saloon. In addition, the Touring variant comes with BMW's innovative iDrive control system with new short cuts - eight freely programmable buttons for instant porgramme selection. Finally, music aficionados can now specify the BMW Individual High End Audio system that uses 16 loud speakers to generate an ear-ringing 825 watts.
The new BMW M5 Touring starts production in March 2007 and will be priced at £67,075 on the road.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jaggie 5:05PM (3/01/2007)
Very nice car. Since 15 years BMW makes a M version of a Touring. Quite curious how the car looks in real life.
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DJ 5:12PM (3/01/2007)
Isn't this the EXACT SAME lower bumper that we just saw yesterday on the 2008 Jaguar XJ? And didn't everyone unamiously HATE it?
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-jaguar-xj/170210/
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mk 5:37PM (3/01/2007)
Hasn't anyone mentioned that is more complex than simply converting currency exchange rates.
taxation, and other fees that are not associated with the product costs come into play.
I would not think that the M5 touring would cost more than the M5 at any greater margin than the regular 5-series touring model to a comparable sedan.
But sporty wagons aren't given a tremendous chance in the US market. There are a few buyers, but the market really isn't being cultivated, with the prevalence of SUVs over car-based wagons. CUVs try to bridge the gap, and perhaps manage it, but they aren't performance vehicles, by and large.
///M cars and AMG wagons aren't prevalent. Audi does have the A4 and A6 Avants, and the Passat wagon. The subaru Legacy wagon is even cancelled in the US market, but continues on in Canada, and throughout Subaru's other markets, even outselling the sedan.
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geo.stewart 9:40PM (3/01/2007)
Audi RS6 Avant
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david 5:57PM (3/01/2007)
please God, don't let them bring back the dreaded station wagon.
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TheSwener 6:02PM (3/01/2007)
God, hasn't BMW Diluted its brand enough already? Do we really need to remind everyone out there that their kickass M5 can also be a tame-ass station wagon?
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dcwf 7:02PM (3/01/2007)
Alex,
It may not have a sub-5 sec. acceleration to 60, and it may not be as large inside as a 5 series wagon, but the S4 Avant should get you, yours, and the pooch wherever you are going in a hurry, at a fraction of the cost.
Just saying.
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DKB_SATX 7:03PM (3/01/2007)
Why must mouth-breathing dolts tar all wagons with the same brush? An '84 LTD wagon is a fat lumbering beast, and a 2.Slow Jetta Wagon is definitely tame. My AWD turbocharged Legacy GT Wagon is quick, comfortable, well-built and satisfying as a sporty midsize car, AND I can carry the dogs in the back or a reasonable amount of cargo. It's certainly not tame, and I think it's an attractive and appealing car. I save "dread" for yet another stupid Explorer or Tahoe carrying one person to his white-collar job. A regular 5-series Touring is no more "tame" than its corresponding sedan, and if you think an M5 Touring is tame you probably think a Z06 'vette is too slow as well.
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DanMan 10:44PM (3/01/2007)
Woooooooooooooooooooooooo! Killer Wagon, Rock ON!!! Station wagon, hall all your stuff and get better fuel economy than a pointless SUV! (pointless to the 90% of owners who will never take them off roading more seriously than a stone driveway.
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Carletti 10:51PM (3/01/2007)
This car is just sick man (and it looks much better with the side rails left on the roof). What a great-looking car. Forget that it’s a wagon, if I were in the market for an M5 the unique, vicious, look of the Touring variant would strongly affect my decision in purchasing the Touring over the sedan. Everything, from the best front end of any car available in the market today, to what looks to be the best stance of any current BMW since the Z4 M, to the tidy lines on this automobile just scream complete domination over any mainstream (with exception perhaps to the Range Rover) automobile on the road today. In fact, this car looks so good in my eyes, that it most probably dethrones my previous favorite wagon of all time, the spectacular 2003 BMW 5 Wagon. And I can almost guarantee that we’ll be seeing replicas of the stylish M5 side mirrors on Integra’s everywhere.
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fixitfixitstop 11:14PM (3/01/2007)
This is what I think of when I hear the term "supercar". End of discussion.
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Jonathan 12:43AM (3/02/2007)
Guys, the direct currency conversion has gotta stop - it's really misleading. Converting from the UK price is particularly bad since it includes a hefty 17.5% VAT and the pound is so strong compared to the dollar
M5 Sedan (UK price): £64,495 ($126,187)
M5 Sedan (US price): $82,900 (£42,367)
Your $130k figure is pointless - if the M5 Touring was to be imported to the US, it would likely cost only marginally more than the sedan - so in the ballpark of $85,000.
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M. 3:14AM (3/02/2007)
We germans love station wagons. We even buy Chrysler 300s station wagons with diesel engines.
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SOhp101 3:43AM (3/02/2007)
#5, station wagons actually have better weight distribution and usually can handle just as well if not better.
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Hernan 7:19AM (3/02/2007)
You could stick your finger in those body panel gaps.
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thisislame 9:51AM (3/02/2007)
very nice wagon. Europeans love wagons.
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pbg 11:41PM (3/04/2007)
this car is so god damn hot. the S series Avants are cool too but if this would come to the USA it would be all over. I'll take it in dark green for the ultimate sleeper ride. +1 to the above poster, this is what a 'supercar' is.
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camaro 9:20AM (3/05/2007)
Bmw shouldn't even try, It looks ugly. You would get laughed at if your were driving that thing. Nobody would wanna pay that much for a station wagon especially with those looks. At least audi made their v10 S6 avant desirable & beautiful(especially the back).
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