When BMW announced the 2019 M5 Competition, it also announced that the M5 was finally faster than the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. With a 4.4-liter V-8, the 2019 M5 Competition has an “official” output of 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque at the crank. For those of you that don’t know, that figure is actually different from the power that makes it to the wheels because there isn’t a driveline out there that doesn’t have at least some loss from crank to the wheels. Most modern lock-up torque converters, for example, lose 10-percent just because of the nature of hydraulic coupling and natural slip. Even without a torque converter, horsepower and torque can be lost through the rest of the driveline as well – remember the engine’s crank spins on one axis while the tires spin on the other.

But, I digress.

The point is that BMW is known for historically understating power output but the question of how much has been a topic for debate. Now, it turns out that the 2019 BMW M5 Competition has been put to the test and it fares much better than BMW lets on. How much better? Well, keep reading to find out.

The BMW M5 Competition Has 617 Horsepower, But Not Where BMW Says

Car & Driver decided to put the 2019 BMW M5 on the dyno to see just how much power it really puts down. 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque at the crankshaft isn’t anything to snub your nose at, but what if I told you that the 2019 M5 Competition actually delivers more like 700 horsepower at the crank? It’s not exactly 700 horsepower, of course, but it’s likely close. Let me explain.

When Car and Driver put the 2019 BMW M5 Competition on the Dyno, it did it right. The car was ran in sixth gear which offers, essentially, and 1:1 gear ratio.Horsepower built through the entire range until it peaked at 617, before taking a nosedive at 6,000 rpm. For the record, 6,000 rpm – in sixth gear – is where the M5 hits that 162-mph speed limiter, so that fall off is natural. The engine may have pushed a little more horsepower, as the engine can rev to 7,200 rpm, but it wouldn’t have been much as it was starting to drop at that point as well.

With all of that said, the test came up with a total output of 617 horsepower and 606 pound-feet of torque. That’s the proper horsepower figure and just over 50 pound-feet more, right? Well, yes, but these figures represent power output at the wheels, not the crank, which means they come after the natural loss of power as it’s transmitted through the driveline. That’s just downright crazy given the official rating of 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet at the crank.

In the end, it’s not really all that surprising as BMW – and a lot of other automakers, for that matter – are known to underestimate figures. However, it makes a little more sense as to why C&D was able to get the M5 Competition to wax the quarter mile in 11 seconds flat – damn near as fast as the 2017 Ford GT that pumps out 647 horsepower and weighs nearly 700 pounds less.

BMW M5 Competition Package Drivetrain Specifications

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW M5 Competition.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M5.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW M5 with M Performance Parts.

Read our full review on the 2014 BMW M5 Competition Package.