BMW's new V10 engine in detail

Each time BMW M introduces a new model, the focus of attention is rightly centred on what lurks beneath the domed bonnet bulge.

For the E60 M5 sedan due on sale in Australia mid-2005, the answer is a high-revving ultra-powerful V10.

The engine shares more than just its number of cylinders with the Formula 1 engine that powers the BMW WilliamsF1 team. Technology forged in the heat of motorsport has enhanced the processes and components used in this new powerhouse engine.

As you would expect from BMW M, this high-performance normally aspirated engine generates enormous pulling force over its entire speed range.

The BMW M V10 is the only high-revving power unit to be featured in a series-production car. The M5's V10 boasts a cubic capacity of 5.0-litres and produces a maximum output of 507 BHP (378 kW) and a maximum torque of 520 Newton metres, making the M5 the most powerful production model in the BMW line-up.

It has been 20 years since BMW introduced the concept of the ultra-high performance sedan with the arrival of the original E28 M5. At that time the straight-six engine set the benchmark for naturally aspirated performance power units, and every successive M5 has continued this tradition.

M drivers thrive on accelerative thrust and driving dynamics. Engine torque and the transmission ratio significantly influence the drive forces at the driven wheels and the high-revving V10 allows an optimum transmission ratio, thus guaranteeing impressive forward thrust. The compact, high-revving normally aspirated engine boasts a red line of 8,250 rpm. Compared to the previous M5 V8 engine, performance has increased by a massive 25 per cent. In keeping with its racing bloodline, the M5 surpasses the magical 100 BHP per litre output, its specific output being on par with that of racing cars.

BMW, one of the leaders in engine construction, has made a name for itself primarily as a manufacturer of inline engines. But its V-engines are also something extremely special. The two five-cylinder banks of the V10 are arranged at an angle of 90-degrees to achieve a mass balance of the crankshaft drive, optimised for low vibration and increased comfort.

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