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All BMW M5 E60 Press Releases + Official Pictures

90K views 73 replies 46 participants last post by  Gustav 
#1 · (Edited)
bmwm5.com / m5board.com Article: Click here

Fact pages:

March 2004:
The BMW Concept M5.Click here

July 2004: Press Release 1: World premiere of the new BMW M5 (shorter summary of all July 2004 press releases)Click here

July 2004: Press Release 2: The new V10 engine in the BMW M5: A masterpiece in engine cons... Click here

July 2004: Press Release 3: The new sequential M transmission: Shifting gears even faster wit... Click here

July 2004: Press Release 4: The suspension of the M5: Ensuring a high degree of agility Click here

July 2004: Press release 5: Bodywork, design, equipment: Safe, challenging, luxurious Click here

Very high-resolutions pictures here:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

































why not kick in the rest :7:

hope you like them















And from the Concept M5:




High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/1.jpg



High res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/2.jpg



High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/3.jpg



High-res: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/4.jpg



Hi-res pic: http://www.bmwm5.com/temp/geneve04/5.jpg








Finally the fourth generation M5 is launched! At last we can see it without the "Chrome Shadow" colour that is available excusively for the "Concept M5", as with the launch of the E46 M3. We have seen spy-pictures of it around Munich, Germany, Östersund and Arjeplog of Northern Sweden, between the tollboots of the highways of France, near BMW facilities in southern California USA, the national parks of Namibia, Spain and more. We got a glimse of what to come from The Unoffcial BMW M5 Homepage-exclusive shots from Tenerife, Spain. It indeed looked promising! Finally we can see the official pictures BMW are releasing!



The colours of the M5 -where the ones in italic are the M5-exclusive ones are: Sepang Bronze, Silverstone II and Interlagos Blue, Alpine White, Black Sapphire metallic and Silver-grey metallic.

As stated in Geneva in March 2004 the M5 will have over 500 HP. The M5 will be able to put out over 100 HP / litre. The official specifications are:


  • Engine code: S65
  • 8250 rpm redline
  • 507 HP (373 kW) @ 7750 rpm
  • 520 Nm torque @ 6100 rpm
  • Weight: 240 kg
  • Stroke: 75,2 mm Bore: 92 mm
  • MS S65 engine managements hardware, software and functioning are developed in-house at BMW M

The M5 will for now (and in the future what I personally have heard, other rumours contradicts this) only be available with the SMGIII gearbox and in a 4-door version. There are as stated earlier no plans for a Touring or a manual option. BMW M is first world-wide with introducing a 7-speed gearbox in a series-produced car. The 7-speed gearbox is by no means an extended 6-speed gearbox, but a completely novel gearbox designed exclusively for the M5. The gearbox is designed for sustaining 550 Nm of torque and 8500 rpm.

Gearshifts are possible with the SMGIII even with the throttle pressed fully to the floor. As opposed to the 6-speed SMGII gearbox that is found in the M3 E46 the M5's SMG hydraulic unit and the actuators have been integrated in the transmission housing. The SMGIII gearbox also features shift-by-wire technology which has it's origins in aerospace synerism and by which gears are changed in the fraction of a second without a mechanical link. In true BMW M tradition the gearshifter is illuminated, just as in the second and third generation BMW M5. The selector lever illumination and gear position indicator is activated as soon as the ignition is switched on.

Six of the eleven gear shift options can be pre-selected in the sequential manual gearbox mode (S mode), the spectrum ranging from balanced dynamic to very sporty. With the gearbox in the S mode, the driver always shifts gears manually, and the transmission does not at any time intervene in the shifting process. Five of the eleven gear shift options of the Drivelogic function are available in the so-called automated D mode. If this mode is activated, gears are changed automatically, depending on the driving program selected, the driving situation, the speed and the position of the accelerator pedal. With the D1 driving program selected, for example, the gearbox sets off in second gear and ensures particularly delicate and smooth engagement of the clutch, this being of great help in wintry conditions.








The SMGIII gearbox is also equipped with various built in safety features. When shifting down on a slippery road for example, the gearbox opens the clutch in a split second in order to prevent the car from suddenly swerving out of control as a result of excessive drag torque at the driven wheels. Another feature of less critical kind is climbing assistance for performing hill-starts with no roll back... Also thanks to a CAN databus between the SMG control unit and the engine management system of the gearbox, the gearbox will take gradients into account when shifting gears, so for example the engines braking power can be used when going downhill. MS S65 control unit feeds the SMG control unit with data on the accelerator position, wheel and engine speeds, temperatures, steering angle and key memory. In addition ot this the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) works with the SMG system.

By pressing the Power-button on the selector lever cover, the driver can activate a sportier program with full performance characteristics. The activation of this program results in a more progressive response of the throttle butterfly to the accelerator pedal with the dynamic transient functions of the electronic engine management system switching over to a more instantaneous response. In the M5, the more comfortable of the two settings is automatically applied as soon as the engine is restarted. The change-over can also be pre-configured and called up in MDrive.

Adjacent to the SMG selector lever, there are four buttons that facilitate direct operation of the driving dynamics functions Power, DSC, EDC and Drivelogic.



Back as standard since 1995 M5, the Electronic Damper Control (EDC)




First introduced on the 1992 M5 and on the model year 1995 it became standard EDC. Available as an option on the E39 5-series but never on the E39 M5 it is a welcome addition on the fourth generation M5. The EDC on the second generation M5 have two settings: P(erormance) and S(port) mode. The P setting will adjust the dampers between Sport, Standard and Comfort depending on the road contitions and your driving style and the S setting will force the the dampers into Sport mode.








Computers have experienced a great evolution since the year 1993 (486 DX anyone? Macintosh LC?) and for the fourth generation M5 the drive can choose between three different settings: Comfort, Normal and Sport. The driver chooses the settings via the special MDrive-button on the steering wheel or via a dedicated button adjacent to the SMG selector lever. In “Normal” mode the damping force is automatically adjusted as required. This system is synonymous with optimum motoring comfort and safety. Additionally, the driver can pre-select the damping characteristic using the “Comfort” or “Sport” mode. In sport mode, the suspension reacts to road surface conditions by employing higher damping forces, thereby reducing the lifting effect, which noticeably improve the limpet-like grip. In the comfort mode EDC produces lower damping forces in favour of greater motoring comfort.









The MDrive button will come up on the IDrive screen when pressing the MDrive button. The MDrive is a new function that is activated via the MDrive button on the steering wheel. This function allows the driver to turn the comfortable saloon car into a thoroughbred sports car at the push of a button and vice versa. This entails calling up the settings and drive modes previously configured in the MDrive menu of the iDrive. The preset values can be stored in the key memory system.

The following individual functions are pre-selected or activated via MDrive:


  • The power button with which the engine characteristics – i.e. output and response – are affected in three stages
  • SMG Drivelogic with which one of six sequential or five automatic shift modes are pre-selected – the driver once again benefits from the direct selection of each desired drive or shift mode;
  • DSC Dynamic Stability Control featuring two modes of driving dynamics;
  • EDC Electronic Damper Control with the three modes – comfort, normal and sport;
  • Head-up-Display and
  • Active backrest width adjustment.
A new generation of Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) was developed exclusively for the M5: the DSC system can be deactivated via a switch on the centre console. Its driving dynamics programs are pre-selected using the so-called MDrive menu and can be called up by pressing the MDrive button on the steering wheel

M Dynamic Mode (MDM) is introduced on the M5 and is similar to the M3 CSL M Track Mode. It allows the driver to reach the absolute limit of longitudinal and lateral acceleration at the touch of a button on the steering wheel (MDrive-button). The driver is informed of the M Dynamic function by a warning lamp on the instrument panel. Thankfully the driver also can choose to completely disactivate DSC. He is also informed of this by means of a warning lamp.



P400 and P500 mode




Frequently, the driver does not require the M5’s full power output and maximum agility, for example in town traffic. For this reason, when the car is started, the markedly comfortable P400 power mode with 400 HP is automatically activated. However, simply by pressing the Power button situated on the selector lever cover, the driver has at his disposal the full power of ten cylinders. This converts the accelerator pedal kinematics to a spontaneous characteristic, the P500 mode facilitating sporty driving pleasure and the P500 sports mode providing the driver with an uncompromising motor sport experience.



Best power to weight ratio in the segment




The new M5’s power-to-weight ratio is 3.5 kg/HP. This is a further superlative figure normally expected of racing cars rather than of a five-seater sports saloon. In comparison: the thoroughbred M3 CSL road racer had a power-to-weight ratio of 3.85 kg/HP. 3.5 kg/HP means that the M5 is positioned in the prestigious class of high-performance sports saloons and manages to convince with by far the best power-to-weight ratio.








The rear diffuser fulfils a central function in underbody air routing. Together with the unobtrusive spoiler integrated into the rear lid and the almost entirely smooth, flat underbody, it accomplishes an improvement in airflow across the underbody, resulting in an excellent drag coefficient and a reduction in lift forces. Customers with particularly sporting ambitions have the option of a rear spoiler that reduces rear axle lift by a half. A new registration plate trim gives the M5 a unique and superior appearance. This is also a legacy from the second generation BMW M5 that had a black plastic registration plate trim on the sedan version, as also in the case of the E60 M5 different from the other non-Motorsport 5-series cars.



The interiour of the BMW M5











V10 engine that revs to 8250 rpm. In the same car you can fit four people (or five for shorter journeys) and four 9-inch golf bags thanks to a 500 liter boot. The BMW M5 feautures extended leather trimming in the exclusive material Merino. It is available in three different colours: Black, Silverstone and Light Sepang Bronze. The center area of the instrument panel, the center console and the handbrake lever gater as well as the door mirror and armrests. The even more luxorious all-leather trim Merino in five colours is available as an option. The colours are for the all-leather: Black, Silverstone, Light Sepang Bronze, Indianapolis Red and Portland Natural Brown. The all-leather option includes all-leather covering of the instrument panel and an Alcantara-anthracite roof-lining. A "Climate Leather" option features active ventilation of the front passengers seats.








The combined speedometer and rev counter have been completely redesigned. Both round instruments have chrome ring surrounds. The new design features black dials with white numerals and the needles are in traditional M red. The white corona-ring illumination is permanently switched on, thereby also underlining the impression of high quality during the day. The representation of the engine speed band on the rev counter is unique: the yellow pre-warning field and the red warning field limit the currently permitted engine speed range according to the present engine oil temperature. With increasing engine oil temperature the useful speed range increases, this permitting the driver to observe the temperature intuitively. Control lamps, oil gauge, mileage counters and SMG display with gear and Drivelogic information are located between the speedometer and rev counter.




M-specific HUD




The head-up display has been designed in such a way as to allow the driver to decide for himself at the touch of a button whether he wishes to receive standard information or specific M information projected into his line of vision.The M-specific display highlights the dynamic engine speed range, this signalising to the driver by means of shift-light function when the optimum shift point has been reached. This function has been derived directly from Formula 1 racing. The display also gives information pertaining to the gear currently engaged and vehicle speed.









The newly designed M leather steering wheel is ergonomically dimensioned. Reshaped and relocated SMG shift paddles facilitate fingertip gear shifting –down on the left and up on the right. Whilst shifting gears, the driver keeps his hands firmly on the steering wheel, enhancing road safety at high speeds or on winding roads.



Of course a potential owner could choose from even more option thanks to BMW Individual.






The performance of the M5




The official press release of July states 0-200 km/h in 15 s and 0-100 km/h in below 5 s. The top-speed is limited to 250 km/h and BMW M press release states that it would to 330 km/h (205 mph) unlimited. The 0-200 km/h contradicts the press release from March of the "Concept M5" that states 0-200 km/h in 13 s. However let's not pass judgement until we have seen a thrid party test of the M5. My guess is between 13 and 15 s two 200 km/h which is on part with the fastest sportscars of today and alot faster than the last generation that did the sprint in around 17 s and had an unlimited top-speed of 296 km/h. But a 7-speed sequential gearbox and a superb power-to-weight ratio spells success for the fourth BMW M5.

Also, the press release mentions a time of 8 minutes. 8 minutes and 0 seconds. For one lap around the Nürburgring. This is BMW numbers and I have heard rumours that it would be able to do it under 8 minutes from M sources. Let's wait and see what it do with other drivers, but it looks like Ring-Taxi driver Sabine will be very hard to beat in the future...

Have you seen a unmasked M5? Please e-mail me at gustav@bmwm5.com. Thank you!








Go to Page 1: You are here

Go to Page 2: Engine pictures

Go to Page 3: The official Press Release texts

Go to Page 4: High-resolution pictures and official low resolution pictures
 
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#2 ·
Re: All BMW M5 E60 Press Releases

Tak Gustav! :cheers:
 
#7 · (Edited)
Did you guys see this:

"The so-called MDrive is a new function that is activated via the MDrive button on the steering wheel. This function allows the driver to turn the comfortable saloon car into a thoroughbred sports car at the push of a button and vice versa. This entails calling up the settings and drive modes previously configured in the MDrive menu of the iDrive. The preset values can be stored in the key memory system.

The following individual functions are pre-selected or activated via MDrive:
– The power button with which the engine characteristics – i.e. output and response – are affected in three stages;
– SMG Drivelogic with which one of six sequential or five automatic shift modes are pre-selected – the driver once again benefits from the direct selection of each desired drive or shift mode;
– DSC Dynamic Stability Control featuring two modes of driving dynamics;
– EDC Electronic Damper Control with the three modes – comfort, normal and sport;
– Head-up-Display and
– Active backrest width adjustment."

Maybe no more Sport and DSC button pressing
:1:
 
#13 ·
Very awesome write up gustav!! :thumbsup:

may I ask if there are the higher resolution of this pic.



and the 10 that follows it.
 
#20 ·
Great stuff..

A few notes:
Looks like the stock brakes will be much more up to the job than the E39 units were. 14.7" rotors :)

mDrive sounds great. One button to switch between cruise and go.

Did active steering make it? I couldn't quite tell from the press release, is Servotronic the same thing?

Did active roll stabilization make it? It would be very sad if it didn't.

Shift lights in the HUD.. good stuff :cheers:

CSL style DSC :biggrin:

Looke like they kept the weight under 4000lbs.

The engine has a much shorter stroke than the S54. Piston speeds should be lower improving durability and leaving more room for tuning.
 
#21 ·
Hi Gustav,

very very nice pictures. It makes me curious to see this M5 on the road.
I must admit that the E60 M5 looks pretty exclusive and with it less sportive.
But a nice combination although.

Thank You for the message which has become a great priority in my mailbox.

I wish you a lot of fun on the road.

See You

Turbo Germany
 
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