In ‘Competition’ format, the 2021 BMW M5 (F90 LCI) churns out 617bhp and 750Nm from a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 mill

German automaker BMW AG has unveiled the ultimate performance variant of the 2021MY 5 Series mid-size saloon, F90 M5 LCI. The new 2021MY BMW M5 packs significant improvements in terms of performance, dynamics and efficiency alongside subtle visual upgrades. As usual, the performance sedan or ‘super saloon’ comes in two formats: standard and Competition. Prices start at 120,900 euros or roughly Rs 1.04 crore in its home market.

Prominent highlights include L-shaped full-LED adaptive laser headlamps, single-piece double-slat kidney grille (miles better than the new 4 Series’ vertical example), improved bumper aero, ‘3D’ LED taillamps, all-new dampers, 20-inch wheels (among other choices) and several bits borrowed from the range-topping performance GT, BMW M8. It is offered in five new colours (two regular and three BMW Individual choices): Brands Hatch Grey, Motegi Red, Tanzanite Blue II, Aventurine Red II and Frozen Bluestone.

On the inside, the 2021MY BMW M5 features a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen (supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and Live Cockpit (digital instrument console) loaded with the latest BMW iDrive 7.0 software, cloud-based navigation and more. Functionalities are further extended to two dedicated buttons on the centre console, as in the BMW M8: Setup and M Mode. The former lets the driver individually configure various settings on the touchscreen while the latter shifts everything to Track mode on one go. There are four driving modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Track (new).

Powering the new BMW M5 is the familiar 4.4-litre ‘M TwinPower Turbo’ twin-turbo V8 petrol block but reworked to ooze out more output. In the standard M5, it delivers 592bhp @ 6,000rpm and 750Nm @ 1,800-5,600rpm. The higher M5 Competition generates almost 617bhp @ 6,000rpm and 750Nm of torque for 260rpm longer (1,800-5,860rpm).

Both variants are mated to an 8-speed M Steptronic (torque-converter-ish) transmission sending power to all four wheels via ‘M xDrive’ AWD system (equipped with Active M Differential). The AWD unit has its own set of modes: 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD (or “drift mode”). 0-100km/h dash times of the BMW M5 and BMW M5 Competition stand at 3.4 seconds and 3.3 seconds, respectively while top speed is commonly limited to 250km/h (305km/h with optional M Driver’s Package ticked).

Thanks to these additions, the BMW M5 continues to be a strong rival to the latest Mercedes-AMG E63 and Audi RS7 avatars. BMW India would most likely launch the car sometime next year at a starting price of around Rs 1.50 crore ex-showroom (more for the M5 Competition).