Meet the car that's putting the 'lap' in Lapland! Our team of spies have caught the best pictures yet of BMW's latest super saloon, the M5, putting its traction control to the test in frosty conditions.
It's only been a matter of days since BMW allowed us behind the wheel of lesser models in the new 5-Series range, but already the flagship E63 AMG-rival is being prepped for production.
Judging by the light camouflage, visual differences to the standard car will be subtle. Expect deeper front and rear bumpers, a power bulge in the bonnet and the trademark 'gills' in the front flanks. At the rear the giveaways are more obvious, with four roaring exhaust pipes protruding from the bumper.
The big story with the all-new M5 though is the switch from a naturally-aspirated V10 to a direct-injection twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 - a tweaked version of the unit used in the X6 M and X5 M. Despite the loss of two cylinders the forced-induction V8 will produce more power - around 570bhp - but emit less CO2. Expect a 0-60mph time of under 4.5 seconds and, as always, a limited top speed of 155mph.
Our sources have revealed that the M5 will go on sale in 2011 - meaning a public unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this October is likely.
[autoblog]
