It's one of the most anticipated new cars of 2011. The BMW M5 holds a special place in high-performance sedan lore and the latest version is the burliest, most powerful yet to wear the iconic badge.
Powering this luxury cruise missile is a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 making 412kW and 680Nm of autobahn-rippling power, a big jump from the previous, naturally-aspirated V10 M5 which made 373kW and 520Nm.
The unloved SMG transmission is gone; in its place is a seven-speed M-DCT dual-clutch gearbox with launch control with claims of 4.4 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and just 13 seconds to hit the 200km/h mark.
The facts and figures have been available for some time but now it's finally time for us to get behind the wheel of the ultimate M car.
We're attending the new M5's international media launch at the Ascari circuit in Spain as you read this, so don't miss next Thursday's Star Motoring supplement for our seat-of-the-pants driving impressions. -Star Motoring