BMW M5 Twin Turbo and M7 Prototypes Spied

BMW M5 Twin Turbo Spy Photo / Copyright by Lehmann Photo-Syndication

By Brian
September 10, 2007 1:43 PM
Filed Under: BMW, German, Spy Photos

The horsepower race is on, again! BMW's M5 was king of the hill with its hi-revving 507hp V10 until Mercedes released the E 63 AMG with 511hp. Surely only just a few extra horsepower but it still counts as the German premium marques compete with each other.

Now, there’s a new kid in town - the twin-turbo V10 Audi RS 6. With its massive 580 horsepower under the hood, it is speculated that Audi has understated the true horsepower figure of 600hp. How long will the RS 6 hold the throne? Well, most likely until the new Mercedes E 63 AMG is released in mid 2009 with a unconfirmed 544hp, however, it seems based upon these latest spy photos that BMW may have a trick or two planned.

Evidence shows BMW is preparing a slightly more evil version of the M5, and this time it appears to be twin-turbos! According to the photographer who snapped this M5 prototype, the engine sound was different from the usual M5. In addition, clearly visible are the extra air intakes cut in the front bumper. However, take a closer look inside the lower air duct openings on the sides of the front bumper and you'll notice a verticle flap which redirects the air flow into what appears to be sitting behind an intercooler for a turbo.

And while we are on the subject, why not speculate about the testing of an 7 Series based M7. The pictured 7-series prototype has shows a few clues beyind the normal 7-series prototypes that we have been seeing lately. Check out the big air scoop in the hood and two smaller air outlets at the back edge of the hood. Could this be the sign we have been hoping for? It’s known that the new 7 series will be sportier and more fun to drive, so why shouldn’t there also be an M7, after all to compete with Mercedes' S 65 AMG and Audi's potential RS8?

Source: Lehmann Photo-Syndication

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Comments

norther

September 10, 2007 3:51 PM

wow...how come im the first one to comment about this car? where's BMWaddict? :) dude, i wanna hear u about this! beautiful machine, i love it. this is what i was talking about. this is a real bmw. (hope they're not gonna change it)

tommybluesky

September 10, 2007 3:56 PM

Well, that is going to be a great 7 series! After the other German manufacturers producing so powerful exclusive cars there MUST BE a M7! :) and guess who is going to be happy about this ;)

Bobby

September 10, 2007 5:15 PM

The German cars are going mad!!! 500 horsepowers are already too powerful and they are souping 'em up.

amg55

September 10, 2007 7:12 PM

No matter how much hp the other brands come up with, they can never compete with a Mercedes, as a Merc simply doesn't go on its horsepower measurement, there is simply much more to a merc. audi is so cheap that no hp figure can make them half the decent manufacturer as Merc, MERC IS SIMPLY IN ITS OWN CLASS, REGARDLESS OF ANY FIGURES ETC, NO ONE COMPARES MERCS TO ANYTHING!

SM335

September 10, 2007 7:25 PM

That M5 is gonna be amazing, but I thought that M cars were only going to be N/A. If they turbo the V10, then that will have way more torque to go along with more HP. Brilliant!!!

Monster3

September 10, 2007 7:33 PM

Mercedes has nothing next to BMW. Mercedes is great if you are 80 years old and dont want to feel a bump in the road for fear that your arthritis may be triggered. BMW's are made for driving hard, fast, and tight. There is nothing more fun and exciting to drive than a six speed bmw. Godspeed.

NauAudiS4

September 10, 2007 7:52 PM

hahaha amg55! Mercede's are a beautiful peice of crap! Where I live there are so many, and not to mention I will always see one just sitting on the side of the road waiting for somebody to tow them. Plus, I ask you this, why does everyone in the car testing business always say Audi has the best interiors?

hans

September 10, 2007 10:18 PM

childish horsepower race hast just begun :-/ they should care more about elegance and design imo

NardoW12

September 10, 2007 11:16 PM

so is this a sign of a Turbo-Charged M3 coming out maybe in the next 3 years because of the new 450HP RS4 and 457HP C63AMG? The more they compete the more choice we have... that's what I care about the most... and TwinTurbo M5 and M7...hell yea! Loving them... but...isn't time for BMW to make a more super car like car to fight the R8(RS8) and the baby SLR that coming out?

tommybluesky

September 11, 2007 12:57 AM

NardoW12 you are right! Come on BMW give us more!

NardoW12

September 11, 2007 7:56 AM

I see how BMW try to keep their M cars from huge displacement and turbo/supercharged engines... but because the pressure from Audi and Mercedes, BMW really doesn't have a choice if they want to stay in the high performance market... I love those high rev NA engines, but ultimately BMW is a business that's going for the maximum profit it could get, so is Audi and MB... just each of them are going toward their own way of defining high performance... I just hope that BMW can keep their M cars well balanced and keep the great handling while increasing HP.

mako001

September 11, 2007 9:09 AM

Turbo charging is a cheap way of increasing HP, but then Merc has been doing it for decades, so why not BMW? The technology has also improved vastly... so turbo lag is virtually undetectable in the 335i. If BMW can add 100hp to the M5 V10, that would be awesome.

mako001

September 11, 2007 9:25 AM

BMW ventured into super car domain with the 850, with poor results. The Z8 was a great roadster, but I don't think BMW has plans for a super sports car in the short term. Super cars are for bragging rights, they make little business sense from the shareholder's standpoint...some are very profitable, but sales volume is usually very low. Lamborghini just started making record profits only after introducing a cheaper model, they almost went kaput remember. BMW are a very smart business people,(except for the dip stick issue!, silly Bavarians)

abu-fahd

September 11, 2007 12:27 PM

BMW working hard.. they must beat the others.

abu-fahd

September 11, 2007 12:49 PM

TO BMW BOY : I can see that you always talking about Mercedes as it's can't makes sport cars for its self .. So, I want to tell you that BMW can't also.. I mean don't you know ALPINA ?? they make a super sport cars for BMW as well as AMG do it for Mercedes. And the ALPINA is much better than M cars. In fact we can compare it with AMGs. You have to know that M cars is not compareable with the AMGs and ALPINAs is really compareable. I respect BMW as a great auto maker and I respect all the lovers of BMW such as you.

norther

September 12, 2007 1:01 AM

to amg 55. first, change ur user: the merc 55 is in the top ten gay cars. 2nd, as i said before, the mercs are more ships than cars. for older retired people, who do not want noise, or feel any bumps or whatever. bmw and audi were and are and always will be more of a DRIVERS` car; which u can put the pedal to the metal, hear the exhaust, street race bla bla. and there's nothing wrong with turbo/supercharging, at least and i don't think so.

chambre

September 12, 2007 4:14 AM

now that bmw is turbo charging their v10, maybe it will make as much power as dodges normally aspirated v10.

so much for the notion of german engineering......these things are overpriced, bloated, snob mobiles for the park and pose crowd.

4rings

September 12, 2007 8:23 AM

To "Chambre"... A little info you failed to mention. IT TOOK DODGE MORE THAN 500ci (8.3L) TO GET WHAT BMW's V10 GETS, OR MERC's 6.3 V8 put out!! The ONLY American sports car (Corvette), also does it. Now that I helped make you a little smarter(you're welcome), back to the cars... Im a German car kinda guy. I love 'em all, but, Im a driver! The Mercs still are not as driver oriented as BMW or Audi, so they come first for me. But, the Merc's are deffinitely my luxo choice with the power to go with it. BMW's are still up there, and Im glad they're getting more attractive again. Audi's are getting ever more balanced & driver oriented & still have my favorite interiors! As far as turbo/s.chargers, I have to agree with "NardoW12"

Ferrariguy

September 12, 2007 11:25 AM

All this talk about which is better is ridiculous! Just drive them all and see which one's are your favorite. Different strokes for different folks. Every car manufacturer is different and each possess different strengths and weaknesses. Jeezz, how people argue over what's better and such.

amg55

September 12, 2007 12:03 PM

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT AM I HEARING!!!!!, IS THERE EVEN ANY POINT TALKING TO YOU LOT, YOU SIMPLY AIN'T GOT THE BRAINS TO UNDERSTAND, YOU AND YOUR CARS SERIUOSLY AMUSE ME!!, AND ABT THE AUDI INTERIORS, CAN YOU EVEN TELL WERE ANYTHING IS - A PURE PEICE OF CRAP, car magazines simply come out with any rubbish - and you believe them! IT IS SO SICKENING, AND AS FOR THE BMW'S, THEY FLIPPIN' SOUND LIKE A GIRL SCREAMING AT HIGH REVS, SO WHAT IF IT 'FEELS BETTER TO DRIVE', IT BY NO CHANCE MAKES IT BETTER THAN MERCS, HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN THE AMG'S FOR eg THE 65, COMEDIANS SUCH AS AUDI AND BMW CAN'T EVEN DREAM THAT FAR, I can go on & on & on about how crap, horrible & rubbish bmw's and audi's exactly are, but I'll leave it to you to think abt, and I'll say again, MERCS ALWAYS HAVE RULED, AND THEY ALWAYS WILL, never forget that. THANKS VERY MUCH.

boyke69

September 12, 2007 5:28 PM

i don't really like the 7-series. i prefer the s-class more, because luxury means isolation and whatsoever, and the 7-series is too firm to be a luxury car. but the twin turbo M5 is going to fire me up. by the way, the mercedes is too luxurious to be a driver's car. it's not really for old people, it's for those who want to be isolated from the outside world, and bmw is the real driver's car with all that fun. but the audi is the best all rounder.

amg55

September 12, 2007 5:39 PM

demen, and you're point is..................I still don'y get you, all I know is that audis & bmw's are still pieces of crap

amg55

September 12, 2007 5:40 PM

by the way demen you're the one who has to grow up mate, so why don't you focus on growing hair on your parts...

benz_man

September 12, 2007 10:05 PM

Three manufacturers who engineer incredible vehicles for three separate types of people. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi customers all expect first rate engineering with each manufacturers specific twist. BMW's drive "knife edged" with immediate turn-in, a taught, controlled ride and concise body movements. Mercedes Benz's are vault like with a ride that "flattens the surface beneath them" using suspension designs and control algorithms that employ the Skyhook Damping Theory. Audis...they're well Audi's. Crafted by the people who brought us the 911, the GTI and the Veyron! And yes, cosmetically speaking, Audi does interiors the best. Try and find an uneven cut-line in an A8...Better yet, try and find a cut-line at all!

NardoW12

September 12, 2007 11:20 PM

For the interior part, I like some BMW's interior but most Audis have very nice and futuristic interior...and that's my personal favorite. Precisely created with a well balanced style mixed from luxury and sporty, and some futuristic element...that's why Audi have great interiors(or best among Audi BMW and Benz) And for the target customers, I think BMW is for people who's looking for a car that can let them fit 4 or 5 people into it and bring them the joy of driving all the time. Benz is for people who is looking for a car with the feeling of a boat...luxurious and isolating as someone mentioned above. And Audi is for people who want a car with the element of luxurious and fun to drive once in a while. I personally like BMW the most, but interior...I love Audi... Mercedes..unless it's a CLK63AMG Black Series... I'm not going to consider buying one till I'm 50years plus...lol

Ferrariguy

September 13, 2007 8:48 AM

To the person who saids BMW's 5 liter V10 get 20+ mpg, that's ridiculous. Have you ever owned one? You'll be lucky to the get 17 on the highway and probably 8 or 9 on the streets. For 2008 the ratings for the m5 is 11/17.

Ferrariguy

September 13, 2007 8:51 AM

I personally like both Benz and bimmers. Never cared too much for Audi. Aside from interiors I don't see anything special about them. I'm sure many people like the RS4, RS6, R8 and such, but not my cup of tea. I do, however, respect what they are trying to bring to the consumer though. I prefer AMG and M power baby!!!

bmwaddict

September 16, 2007 4:29 PM

I didn't thought M division will ever make a turbo powered engine, I guess there must be a first in everything. Regardless of what enybody sais the M5 is already a masterpiece. Nothing can beat it, there are close competitors but that's about it. They don't need to turbocharge this car. Regarding the M7, now that's something I've very much expected. The S63 AMG looks like the only person who would buy it would be a 80 year nutty. A customer of mine just bought himself a V10 Audi S8, and I must tell you it's madnees. BMW must do something about this. There is no competitor for S8, c'mon M division crush everybody again!!

abu-fahd

September 17, 2007 1:59 PM

bmwaddict, I wrote message for you up there ..

bmwaddict

September 17, 2007 11:18 PM

Alpina and the M division are two very different concepts. The Alpina is related to overwhelming lux and power. Instead the M cars are pure sport and extraordinary road and track performance. Alpina is for BMW what almost AMG is for Mercedes. The M division is the heart of the BMW brand. Don't confuse them. M is BMW, you can't take them sepparately. Alpina is also making extraordinary cars, but it's something else than an M powered car. If you would drive an M3 you would understand. I drove an ML 55 AMG, it's not the best AMG, it's garbage actually. I have a friend that has an SL 55 AMG. After he drove my M3 he asked me who does he has to kill to get an M3. He still has the SL but when he really want's to feel alive he takes out the M3.

NardoW12

September 18, 2007 3:19 AM

AMG is about luxury and power... I drove a SLK55 AMG before and yes it handles pretty bad compare to M3... but the SLK55 AMG does have more power and you feel more pushing while driving it...

bmwaddict

September 21, 2007 11:41 PM

The SLK55 AMG is one of the worst cars made by AMG. Top gear has made a top ten AMG cars. The SLK came in 8th place. Turbo is not something specific to BMW. But still BMW engineers have made the 335i engine, and it has the turbo system has the smalest latency on serial road cars today. The competition could only have kept pase untill now by turbocharching their engines (AMG or RS). Instead BMW only had normally aspirated engines. I wonder where what will be the figures for this turbocharged M5.

Qadsawi

October 16, 2007 2:18 AM

how much will the Twin-Turbo BMW M5 cost about?

Qadsawi

October 16, 2007 2:25 AM

how much do you think will the Twin Turbo BMW M5 cost?? because i have an M5 E60 and i wish to change it with the new turbocharged M5 but i still think its better not to change now considering my M5 will be the last of the natural aspiared engines in its line...

nicholas

December 7, 2007 4:27 PM

it's great news that the big 5 get's more grant but please can the boys from bavaria think again about their fancy SMG ,JUST shod the beast with a manual gearbox with ratio to mach the undelying German precition(tour de force)then you'll have a winner with inthusiasts.

barina47

June 7, 2009 10:30 AM

amg55, youre way out of your depth here mate, and 'shouting' in upper-case wont make a nats difference. Want some balance on where MB fit into the scheme of things???? Check the last 5 years of J D Power surveys - WAY WAY down the list!! MB churn out crap cars, just like other manufacturers manage now and then, but this blog is a about BMW's new M5. When ALL car makers finally and at last realise their cars are getting heavier and heavier, and should be getting lighter and lighter, then you could have a legitimate discussion about N/A versus turbo's and superchargers. The so-called 'power race' is as obscene as the weight of the cars those German makers produce. A 'weight race'........now that would something else to see.

Decypha

May 8, 2008 10:54 PM

Chambre, ur a waste of molecules!!! Comments like that might get u locked up in sum mental institution; it takes some other crazy to be able to say something like that and actually really believe it... The Dodge Viper is a waste of nature's resources; how it even made it on this comment list is a mystery to me... 500HP from an 8.3L is nothing to be proud of...

Mr.BadLuck

May 9, 2008 10:14 PM

Audi Rs-6 will still remain on top, bmw & benz only follow the RS audi's when it comes to horsepower trends.

shmrxM3E30

November 21, 2008 9:11 PM

...Boys,boys,boys...Merc and Audi are pure fancy peice of crap!!!!The Bavarians are,and forever will be,the king of driving pleasure...simply the best!!!The Motorsport section never failed,they always suprise us with skills and thrue detication to sport cars,and his performance...! "Don't forget that the BMW IS THE FIRST CAR MANUFACTURER WHO BUILT A TURBO,BACK IN THE 1972,WHIT THE 2002Turbo" E30 M3;E28 M5;E24 M635 CSI;E34 M5;E36 M3;E39 M5;E46 M3 CSL...not a single one Merc and Audi can't compare that

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