BMW deletes regular M5 from range
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 10th Aug 2018
WITH the impending arrival of the range-topping M5 Competition, BMW has made the decision to remove the ‘regular’ M5 super-sedan from its local line-up, leaving the Competition as the sole M5 variant.
The deletion of the $199,900 plus on-roads M5 means that buyers will have to fork out $229,000 to access the M-fettled 5 Series, which is due to touch down in Australia in October.
Removing the regular M5 follows the trend set by the 3 Series and 4 Series, which also deleted the regular M4 variant, leaving the stripped-out Pure and focused Competition as the two available variants.
The 2 Series has also been given the same treatment, with the M2 Pure and incoming Competition flying the performance flag for the little coupe.
BMW Australia product communications manager Adam Davis said the reason for the switch to the M5 Competition only was due to the popularity of its M3 and M4 counterparts, which have a take-up rate of more than 80 per cent.
The M5 was offered since the second quarter of this year to satiate the appetite of performance fans and to have an M variant available from as early as possible.
If the M5 range decides to follow the route of the other M vehicles, there is the possibility of a stripped-out Pure version being added to the range, which would help bring the entry point of the M5 under $200,000.
The previous-generation F10 5 Series introduced the Pure nameplate in 2015, removing luxury specification including soft-close doors and a rear sunblind but retaining the M5’s performance credentials.
M2, M3 and M4 Pure can all be optioned with a six-speed manual gearbox, and if an M5 Pure is introduced, it would be the only 5 Series variants to be offered with three pedals.
However, the previous-generation M5 Pure was only available with an automatic transmission, suggesting that if a new version materialised, it would do the same.
The M5 Pure would likely use the 441kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from the M5, while the M5 Competition boosts output to 460kW. Both versions use BMW’s rear-biased xDrive all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Through the first seven months of 2018, BMW has sold 473 examples of the 5 Series, placing it second in its segment behind the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (905) but ahead of the Audi A6 (183) and Maserati Ghibli (140).
