Autocar decided to find out which was faster among two unlikely bedfellows sharing one common trait: 500 horsepower. In one lane you've got the BMW M5, with ten petrol-powered cylinders. In the adjacent lane there's the Q7 V12 TDI, with twelve oil-burning cylinders. The M5 is much lighter. The Q7 has Quattro. And being England, of course it's wet. Follow the jump to see who won and by how much.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the G-Power BMW M5 Hurricane RS
For all the hype about supercars' top speeds, the statistic is generally good for nothing more than bragging rights. The likelihood that your Bugatti Veyron will ever meet up with an SSC Ultimate Aero on the street is next to none, and even if you did, good luck trying to find a place to safely exceed 250 mph. Peak velocity seems even less important when it comes to sedans, but that doesn't stop various tuners from chasing the title of world's fastest four-door. Brabus has long held the title, first with E V12 that hit 206 mph in 1996 and most recently upping that mark to later upping the mark to 227.23 mph with the CLS "Rocket". With that number set in their sights, BMW tuner G-Power took an upgraded version of their M5 Hurricane to the ATP High-Seed test track in Papenburg, Germany last month hoping to set a new record. That they did, eclipsing the Rocket's top speed with a best run of 228.4 mph. Lest Brabus seek to take back the title, G-Power claims that they can improve on the number by increasing the boost from the twin superchargers mounted to the BMW's V10. More info on G-Power's new record following the jump.
2008 BMW M5 – Click above for high-res image gallery
BMW's M5 is understated enough to fly under the radar of the general public, but those in the know, familiar with its capabilities and the legacy it carries, grow silent with reverence if you pull up to them at the gas pump. Who can resist a vehicle that can stop conversations mid-sentence, and accelerates strongly enough to extinguish candles on the next block? We certainly couldn't, and thus began our week with the mighty M5.
So in case you haven't heard, a few economies are having a few hiccups, money isn't easy to get as it used to be, and consumer belt-tightening is turning into fastening the rope more securely around sackcloth robes. That is, unless you're looking for a BMW M-car. BMW's M division sold more cars worldwide through the end of August of this year than it had in all of 2007. But the economic world didn't end until September, you say? Well, that didn't stop the moneyed from showing up at the M division's door: it sold another 6,000 cars through the end of November, which already puts the branch up fifty-percent over last year's total sales. You can check out the press release after the jump, and walk away knowing that no matter what, there is always enough sun somewhere for people to make hay.
After two decades of normally-aspirated high-revving engines shoehorned under the hoods of its M cars, BMW is changing direction and will begin to offer direct-injection turbocharged powerplants in its future high-performance flagships. The German automaker is blaming tough environmental emission standards and the soaring manufacturing costs of the specialty-built V8 and V10 engines found in today's M3, M5, and M6 models for its decision. We also suspect the fact that both Audi and Mercedes-Benz have successfully offered torque-laden forced-induction powerplants for years on their performance models may have something to do with it (also keep in mind that an aftermarket-tuned version of BMW's own twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 can easily match the power output of the M3's normally-aspirated 4.0-liter V8). The first new M model to carry the turbocharged honor will be the X6 xDrive M, with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 reportedly making 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. That same engine is reportedly going into the next F10-chassis M5 due in late 2010.
In Japan, Otaku are the rabid fans of anime who often take their passion to extremes. One way they show their affection is to pull their favorite characters out of the imaginary world and plant them on vehicles in the real world. The pain caused by leaving their fantasy lives to join mainstream life lends its name to the show vehicles on which these characters land, itasha. Itasha has become a huge fad in Japan, with shows around the country almost every weekend. Fans decorate their cars with custom paint jobs or vinyls that act as a tribute to their favorite movies, games and characters.
One such Otaku happens to be a chairman of Age Soft software, creators of the game Total Eclipse, among others. At a recent Itasha show he brought along three of his favorite rides, all decked out with manga. That in itself might not seem so newsworthy, but when you hear what three cars he had done up in anime glory, you might be a bit shocked. Yoshida San showed up with his personal BMW M5, Lamborghini Gallardo and Lancia Stratos. Check out the gallery to see the madness for yourself. Click any image for a gallery of itasha, and follow the jump for an AOL video that explains itasha. Grazie per il tip, Francesco!
Click above for hi-res gallery of the '89 BMW M5 cabrio
These days BMW's M division is pretty busy, cranking out all manner of sport-tuned models in every form. You can get an M3 as a coupe, convertible or sedan, the M5 in sedan or wagon form, and the M6 as either a coupe or a convertible, in addition to M versions of the Z4. But back in the late '80s, the selection of M cars was much more limited. Not that the engineers in the sporting division weren't trying, though. Case in point is this M5 cabrio prototype that almost made it into production, but was canceled at the last minute.
Starting with an E34-generation M5 sedan, engineers in Munich chopped off the roof, strengthened the chassis and replaced the four doors with two longer ones. (If you think the idea is entirely absurd, just look at the Audi A4 cabrio and its quattro GmbH-tuned versions.) The resulting M5 convertible prototype was actually scheduled to debut at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show and even priced at £50k for the British market, but fearing that its addition to the BMW line-up would create demand for a conventional 5-series convertible and subsequently harm sales of the existing 3-series cabrio, BMW executives decided to kill the project. Only one prototype of the M5 convertible was made bearing ZS license plates from the BMW Individual program, as you can see in the gallery below.
The CEO of BMW M GmbH, Ludwig Willisch, spilled his guts to Auto-Motor-und-Sport in a recent interview about the future of BMW's high-performance M division. The news was good, bad, and downright dumbfounding. For the good, Willish mentioned that future M-models will include high-revving turbocharged engines, and offer ceramic brakes. The bad news is that there will be no E91 M3 Touring, E92 M3 CSL, or M1 Concept. Apparently, BMW doesn't feel there is enough of a market to support those vehicles. The perplexing news is that BMW is currently working on M-versions of the X5 and X6 (apparently to answer a question that enthusiasts have yet to ask). While we cannot control the electrochemical signals being sent between neurons within BMW's think tank, we can continue to hope that BMW doesn't dilute the M-brand the way Mercedes-Benz has with AMG.
Click above for high-res gallery of BMW's latest M3
It's been 30 years since the first BMW wearing a trademark tri-color marking was introduced in a homologation effort as the M1. Since then 300,000 vehicles have been graced with that coveted "M" telltale, and still countless others have had the logo applied in the hopes the letter would add some magic to a plebian 318 or 528. Fully one percent of BMWs sold in 2007 were M models, and the milestone 300,000th car, an alpine white M3 Coupe, will live with its owner in the town of its birth, the East Bavarian hamlet of Regensburg. The M3 is likely the most legendary M car, with the original E30 version also existing for homologation purposes and morphing into the current V8-powered technical tour de force that can now be had in Coupe, Sedan or Convertible guise - a true triple threat. There appears no end in sight for BMW's M division's masterful application of the art and science of high performance engineering. Now, if BMW would just return our calls, we can permanently add the 300,001st M-model to the Autoblog Garage, though we're certain it's already built and sold. Press release after the jump.
Well, the Lexus IS-F is really being seen as an M3 fighter in many camps, so something one size up makes sense as well. Its rumored M5-battling GS-F will need some serious hardware underhood to take on its just-right-sized Bavarian rival. Something like a 500 HP V10 would seem a good start. And that's what it will get apparently.
Of course this is still early guesswork, and by the time the car debuts as a 2012 model the benchmark may have made a move of its own, so we'll just trust Motor Trend's predictions for now. They forecast the GS-F will get the LF-A's "500-plus-horsepower, Formula 1-inspired sub-five-liter V-10." That racy mill will find its way into the all-new 2011 GS sedan, backed by a modified eight-speed automatic from the LS 460, which allows "ultrafast" manual shifting via paddles. It should be an interesting challenger to not only the M5, but to the Audi RS6, Mercedes E63 and Cadillac CTS-V as well. We'll keep you posted.
