2018 BMW M5 Gets Serious With Competition Package
Will the F90 M5 be the best track-carving 5 Series ever?
Can anything make a 600-horsepower, all-wheel-drive sedan better? We’re not sure many people really ask questions like this. But if any have, BMW has answered with, “We got this.” To wit: The 2018 BMW M5 earns its M badge with a Competition Package.
Details are pretty scarce from Andy Cook at BMW. However, Motor1 reports the BMW Large Cars executive said that for starters, the M5 Competition Package will likely include standard carbon-ceramic brakes. That’s a $10,000 option and just part of the overall package.
You can also expect suspension changes to accompany those big binders. Typically, that means a firmer ride without losing comfort on pock-marked city streets. Expect a Comp Package M5 to shed a few pounds too, which means more fun on the track.
The package could also include some kind of aerodynamic kit. At the very least, expect some bodywork cues to show off that this is no “ordinary” M5. You know, in case someone thinks an M5 is ordinary.
ALSO SEE: Australian Police to Use BMW 5 Series Diesels
Cook is stingy with details on things like price. However, if you’re already springing for an M5, what’s another five-digit option?
We do know the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 will make 600 ponies and 553 pound-feet of torque, good for 3.2 seconds to 60 miles per hour. That ain’t bad for a two-ton car. The 2018 edition will also be the first M5 with all-wheel drive, which can become rear-wheel drive by switching off traction control.
Purists won’t be able to row their own gears in this M5, but the eight-speed automatic transmission is quick enough that they might not mind. The transmission can be set to one of three shifting modes to match how heavy your hammer is at any particular moment.
On the standard M5, those would complement adjustable controls for the suspension, throttle, and steering. We’d expect these controls to remain in place on the Competition Package M5, albeit with some possible tweaks.