BMW announces new M5 pricing

BMW’s scorching new M5 will arrive in Australia in two guises from the second quarter of next year, priced from $199,000 plus on-road costs – $14,285 more than the outgoing M5 Pure ($184,715).

At this stage there are no plans for a new M5 Pure and the sub-$200,000 Launch Edition will be limited to just 50 units for 2018 in Australia.

Meantime, just five examples of the M5 First Edition will be available locally – from a global production run of only 400 vehicles, guaranteeing its exclusivity – each priced at $229,000 plus ORCs.

Standard features on the BMW M5 Launch Edition include active cruise control with stop/go functionality for traffic jams, steering and lane control assist, evasion aid, autonomous emergency braking, front/rear cameras and plenty more technology besides, allowing the car to control itself for up to 30 seconds at a time. It also gets wireless phone charging.

Merino leather seat trim, multi-function M electrically adjustable sport seats with illuminated M5 logos are standard, as is a Walknappa leather-covered instrument panel. Anthracite is used for the roof-liner.

There's a head-up display specially configured by the M division, with programmable RPM shift alert points.

The BMW M5 rides on large two-tone 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/35 R20 front and 285/35 R20 rear tyres. The alloys can be had in black as a no-cost option.

Also creating a sportier look than garden-variety BMW 5 Series models are LED headlights with Selective Beam, LED daytime running lights, aerodynamic wing mirrors, a subtle body kit with larger front air intakes and a deeper rear diffuser combined with trademark quad exhaust outlets.

Offered in Alpine White and six metallic paint colours, the new M5 comes with plenty of options to get a unique paint job, and plenty of options too.

The Indulgence Package ($8000) integrates massaging seats, TV tuner, a pair of 10.2-inch rear seat screens with Blu-Ray drives and soft-close door functionality.

The Innovation Package ($3650) probably should’ve been called the ‘Aussie Summer’ pack, bringing seat ventilation, roller sunblinds for rear windows, four-zone auto climate control, an Ambient Air package and advanced gesture control

Singular options such as M carbon ceramic brakes for racetrack work, Apple CarPlay, night vision and an up-spec 16-speaker Bowers and Wilkins stereo are available.

An electric glass sunroof is a no-cost option because you lose the weight-saving (and expensive) carbon roof as a result.

The five ultra-exclusive First Edition vehicles coming to Australia, offered only in the Frozen Dark Red metallic colour, bring a host of extra equipment for $30,000 more.

This includes black 20-inch M light alloy wheels matched by dark highlights for the grille, side gills, rear spoiler, door handles and exhaust outlets.

The interior features Smoke White Merino leather upholstery with red stitching while piano black cabin accents add a bit of contrast for the light seat colours.

Other additions include a carbon engine cover, special floor mats with white piping and red stitching plus the abovementioned Indulgence and Innovation packages.

Wider, lighter and more aggressively styled – but not too wild – the new M5 becomes exclusively all-wheel drive for the first time in Australia.

It features a savvy Active M Differential, which has three modes: regular, sport and completely decoupled front axle.

Simply put, you can have crazy quick launches at the drag strip or traffic lights but still enjoy rear-wheel drive shenanigans, such as at the race track.

A reworked version of the M Division's 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 (codenamed S63B44T4) generates 441kW of power at 7600rpm and 750Nm of torque between 1800rpm and 5600rpm.

It drives through an eight-speed automatic transmission to propel the high-tech German to 100km/h in just 3.4sec, making it the quickest M5 yet and quicker than all M3 and M4 models.

It can also hit 305km/h with the optional M Driver's Package.

That’s not bad for a 1855kg behemoth, which is about 15kg lighter than its predecessor thanks to the implantation of a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic roof and other weight-saving features.

The BMW M5 had to make the switch to all-wheel drive to match its German competitors in straight line acceleration, a move that would have shocked BMW M devotees not a decade ago.

The stomach-churning launch ability fires the M5 back into the big time, able to match it with vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG E 63 ($209,611) and Audi RS 6 ($248,726).

As well as slicing a whole second off its 0-100km/h acceleration time, fuel consumption is rated at 10.5L/100km and CO2 emissions are 241g/km.

BMW Australia CEO Marc Werner said the new model's advances in driveline and convenience technologies have "never before" been offered by the German importer.

"Its combination of awesome power and torque, switchable four-wheel drive system, innovative technologies and the ability to carry five passengers in comfort is truly unique," he said.

"To bring this incredible package to market at such a strong price point is further proof of our standing among BMW's M division globally."