By: IOL Motoring Staff
Munich, Germany - Just the thing for the plutocrat on a power trip, this is the limited-edition BMW M5 Competition Edition. Only 200 will be made at the end of the current production run, exactly six of which have been allocated to South Africa, with delivery from November 2016.
Power comes from the hottest production version of BMW's 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8, boosted and re-mapped to deliver 441kW (up 29kW from the 'standard' set-up) and 700Nm, 20Nm more than the standard M5.
All of which reaches the rear wheels via an M Drivelogic dual-clutch transmission and a slightly uprated version of the standard M5's Active M differential, launching the car off the line to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.
Each of the 200 cars will be fitted as a matter of course with the usually optional Competition Package, including 10mm lowered suspension with noticeably tauter springs, damper settings and anti-roll bars, while the M-specific Servotronic steering also gets more direct ratios and revised weighting.
Track-focused
The M Dynamic mode of the dynamic stability control system has also been tweaked towards the sportier end of the spectrum, making the Competition Edition M5 distinctly more track-focused in this mode while retaining everyday drivability in the lower modes.
Multifunction power-adjustable, heatable sports seats with spacially embroidered logos on the head restraints are standard, as is a 1200 watt Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound system, head-up display and lane departure warning.
The cockpit interior will be trimmed in black merino leather with white contrast stitching, set off by carbon-fibre trim elements embossed with a special "M5 Competition 1/200" logo and dark grey floor-mats with white edging.
Unusually, for a BMW, the M5 Competition Edition will be available in only two colours - metallic black and pearlescent white - and in fact all six of the cars coming to South Africa will be white, with prices starting at R1 964 500.