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2012 BMW M5 wrecked following horrific autobahn crash 
Even though the autobahn is one of the most technologically-advanced highway systems in the world, the lack of speed limits do present a few problems. There are some unwritten rules in regards to the autobahn as drivers pushing their cars generally keep to the inside lane and leave their left indicators on as a warning to upcoming cars to move aside. Just like any other highway system, accidents always occur and the latest involved a 2012 BMW M5 being driven at speeds in excess of 186. Reports claim that the crash occurred after the 60-year-old driver swerved to avoid a car which merged into his lane erratically, before spearing into the central divider, sliding across the road and flipping multiple times before coming to a rest on the grass bordering the road. It’s unclear just how fast the M5 was travelling at the time of the crash, but based on the following pictures, the crash must have been fairly violent. Furthermore, when the car came to a rest the engine bay caught fire, but thankfully the driver’s sons were able to put out the blaze, who were following the M5 in an M6 and M3. Thankfully all the passengers involved, including a dog, managed to escape the crash without serious injury but the M5 is definitely a write-off which is a real shame.
2012 M5 Hits 186 mph on the Autobahn, then Loses Control
We all love the BMW M lineup, and we are particularly fond of the brand new 2012 Ms, which punches 560 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque from a TwinPower Turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engine. According to our report in January, the 2012 M5 can hit a top speed of 190 mph, and a driver on the Autobahn decided to test this spec. This 60-year-old man pushed his fresh-off-the-showroom-floor 2012 BMW M5 all the way up to an estimated 186 mph. As he approached a merging vehicle he swerved to avoid it, sending this machine into ping-pong ball, as it careened back and forth between the left and right guardrails. The M5 then flipped several times before coming to a rest in the grass to the side of the high-speed highway. Miraculously, the driver, his 20-year-old passenger, and his dog all survived the crash, though severely injured. This clearly shows how advanced the BMW’s safety features are. Judging by the images (hat tip to Bimmerpost for the images) if this were any other car, the results would have been more tragic. This just goes to show that just because you own a car that will do 190 mph and are on a section of the Bundesautobahn (Autobahn for short) that has an unregulated speed limit, does not mean you should push the car to its limits. By all means, stretch its legs when it’s safe, but don’t max the thing out. We should all use the tragic death of this brand-spankin’-new M5 as a lesson in how not to drive. Save that craziness for the racetrack.
2012 BMW MH5 S-Biturbo by Manhart Racing
With 560 HP, the new BMW M5 is nothing short of a hit among tuners from all over the world: some want to make it look even more aggressive and others want to improve upon the already impressive performance numbers. The latest tuning package comes from Manhart Racing, who hope to prove that, when combined with the appropriate updates, the BMW M5’s standard 560 HP is more of a joke than a serious power offering. The BMW M5’s standard 4.4 liter V8-Biturbo engine has been given a series of modifications on its turbochargers, downpipes, and exhaust-gas system. As a result, the output has been increased to 633 HP and 575 lb-ft of torque. If that’s not enough, the tuner has promised that the next step will be achieving 670 HP. The package also includes a flap-controlled sports-exhaust-gas system made of high-grade steel with four diagonally placed 90 mm exhaust pipe-ends, a new sport coilover kit, and the obligatory new set of 21" wheels.
BMW M5 will compete in the 2012 One Lap Of America After being named the world’s fastest sedan with a 7:55 Nurburgring lap time, BMW’s new M5 sports sedan will make its appearance in the One Lap of America event starting May 4, 2012. It will enter the Luxury Sedan class for top honors in the new "Showroom Stock" class. Next to it, the BMW Performance Center will be providing the One Lap of America staff with official vehicles for 2012. After competing in the One Lap, the BMW M5 will officially arrive in authorized US BMW Centers in August of 2012. As a reminder, the new M5 is powered by a high-revving 4.4-liter V8 engine with an M TwinPower Turbo package that delivers an impressive 560 HP at 6,000 – 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 502 lb-ft from 1,500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and can go up to a top speed of 190 mph. "The fifth generation M5 will compete for the new ‘Showroom Stock’ recognition within the Luxury Sedan class at One Lap of America, which serves as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate its performance capabilities as well as those of the BMW Performance Center instructors," said Dan Gubitosa, BMW Performance Center Manager.
2010 BMW M5 Project Exkalaber by SR Auto Group
Straight from the minds of the people that brought us the "Zeus,", the "Deathbolt," and the "Eagle Eye" comes another piece of tuning genius in the "Exkalaber." With the continuing trend of working on some of the finest sports cars in the land, SR Auto Group took the M5 E60 and gave it a mash-up of customized programs from different tuners and made it into their own. The most distinctive addition to the German sports car is the Hamann-sourced aerodynamic body kit that comes with a bevy of new components, including the new front lip, new side skirts, and the new rear lip. In addition, SR Auto Group also added four matte black exhaust tips that, when combined with a Dinan exhaust system, gives the M5 E60 a significant performance boost. Rounding out the modifications are a new set of wheels - the 21" PUR 4OUR DEPTH wheel - that the aftermarket company has fitted into some of the most exotic super cars in the world. Overall, Project Exkalaber doesn’t carry the same bank for your buck than most of the company’s previous projects, but that doesn’t mean that this program is any less awesome. The look, feel, and overall aura of Exkalaber paints a very different picture. Video: Top Gear drives the BMW M5The new BMW M5 has been out for quite some time, but this may actually be the first time we see Richard Hammond from Top Gear behind the wheel of the sports sedan. He recently took it out for a test spin and seemed to rather enjoy himself, which isn’t surprising considering the BMW M5 has all the tools needed for an invigorating driving experience! For those of you who still don’t know, the M5 is powered by a high-revving 4.4-liter V8 engine with an M TwinPower Turbo package that delivers an impressive 560 hp at 6,000 – 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 502 lb-ft from 1,500 rpm. The model will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and, when the speed limiter is removed, is capable of hitting an impressive top speed of 190 mph. 2012 Geneva Motor Show: The Tuner Cars
One of our favorite parts of any auto show is seeing what the aftermarket industry has done to some of the finest vehicles in the world. At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, we were completely floored by all the programs being displayed. Whether it was the Lamborghini Aventador, the McLaren MP4-12C, or even a model like the BMW 3-Series, the tuning world was definitely well-represented in Geneva. The list below highlights some of the most impressive programs we saw. Some came from some of the best tuners in the world and some came from some surprising tuners. Nevertheless, it all amounted to some pretty impressive sights. You can check out the list of vehicles that were given tuning programs and let us know which of these works you consider your favorites. Check out the list of tuner cars from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show after the jump. Full story 2012 BMW M5 ACS5 Sport by AC Schnitzer
It seems that G-Power is not the only tuner who has shown interest in the new BMW M5. AC Schnitzer headed to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show with a new ACS5 Sport package based on the M5 with plenty of exterior and interior modifications, as well as a power boost. The ACS5 Sport will be powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine tuned to deliver a total of 620 HP and a peak torque of 531 lbs-ft. That’s a little less than the G-Power’s 640 HP, but is still an increase of 60 HP and 30 lbs-ft. The exterior package includes a carbon front spoiler, chromed front grille, rear roof spoiler, rear spoiler, and carbon rear diffuser. The ACS5 Sports sits on a new set of 21" forged alloy rims combined with an AC Schnitzer suspension spring kit. The car comes painted in a very cool "Magic Blue" paint job combined with silver livery. For the interior, the tuner is offering trims and steering wheel finished in "Magic Blue," aluminum pedals with matching foot rest, and velour floor mats. UPDATE 03/07/2012: We have a new set of live images of the BMW M5 ACS5 Sport’s official debut in Geneva. Enjoy! 2012 BMW M5 F10 by Hamann
Hamann Motorsport’s official delegation to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show has now been unveiled. We first showed you their respective programs for the Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster and the Range Rover Evoque; now the tuning company has unveiled their third Geneva-bound model: the BMW M5 F10. Featuring a comprehensive program that includes aesthetic and engine upgrades, Hamann went to town on the M5 F10, further entrenching themselves as a favorite tuner among BMW aficionados. This particular program comes with a widebody kit that adds more width to the front fender flares by 25mm at each side of the vehicle and 30 millimeters at each side of the rear. The kit also has a new front skirt with integrated LED daytime running lights, a new rear apron, a set of side skirts, a roof and rear spoiler, and a new set of 21" Unique Forged II light forged wheels. As an added option, Hamann is also offering Edition Race Anodized three-part aluminum wheels, which come with a dark grey anodized rim center and a titanium bolting of the polished rim flange. Meanwhile, interior enhancements include plenty of leather, aluminum pedals, and personalized floor mats. As far as performance enhancements are concerned, the German tuner installed a new sport exhaust system and a new engine management system, resulting in an increased output from the M5’s 4.4 liter V8 unit. From 560 horsepower and 502 lb/ft of torque, the M5, thanks to Hamann, can now produce an impressive 720 horsepower and 664 lb/ft of torque. 2012 BMW M5 by G-Power
If you ask us the new BMW M5 is one of the few cars that needs no updates, but it seems the German tuner G-Power does not agree. They have started to update the new BMW M5 sports sedan and of course that they have started with a Stage I upgrade that will increase the power up to a total of 640 HP. The package includes a G-Power Bi-Tronik III that will increase the power from the standard 560 HP to a total of 640 HP and 573 lbs-ft of torque. As a result the sprint from 0 to 60 mph will be made in 3,9 seconds and to 124 mph in 11,9 seconds. Of course no changes have been made for the exterior, but the tuner opted to add a new set of 21" alloy wheels plus a new coil-over suspension, stainless steel sport rear muffler and a new Ceramic brake system completed by brake pads with a larger pad area, higher friction rate as well as metal-coated brake lines. UPDATE 03/01/2012: G-Power has unveiled full details and new images on their upgrade package for the BMW M5. The upgraded BMW M5 is capable of hitting a top speed of 195 mph, but G-Power has promised that the next step would be an 800 HP version. Prices for the different accessories are as follows: the wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires (265/30 ZR 21 and 305/25 ZR 21) is 8,325,00 € (or about $11,200 at the current rates), the G-POWER coil-over suspension GM5-RS is 2,179.00 € ($2,930), and the G-POWER Ceramic braking system is 14,460.50 € ($19,400) for the front axle and 11,778.15 € ($15,850) for the rear axle. The output increase with the help of the G-POWER BI-TRONIK III is 3,920,17,00 € ($5,270), including the individual adjustment of to the specific customer car. | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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