BMW’s X5, which has been spotted testing for months now in different mule forms, has been uncovered in its clearest garb with telltale signs of great things to come. Extra breathing holes are apparent under the front grille to accommodate the intercooler, which of course is necessary when vehicles are fitted with turbos. Which this X5 most certainly is.
That it is an iS version can be clearly seen from the oval twin-tailpipes which are typical of the range. The vehicle in the pictures is not complete as it sits on normal X5 wheels. Smaller detail like the M-style blue stitching on the inside of the steering wheel as well as a rev counter that appears to have an extra 1000rpm, are good telltale signs too that this is no ordinary X5.
According to a source at BMW, the new range-topper in the X5 range will be badged 4.8iS just like the previous one. But while the last vehicle had a 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V8, the new car will sport a turbo, probably two, just like the new X6, and use the 4.4-litre V8. All the source could say as far as power is concerned, was that “it will be the most powerful SUV ever built”. Big words indeed. We can however, speculate that it will be higher than 500HP/373kW since this is roughly the power currently produced by the most potent lot at this level.
Importantly BMW policy is that SUVs cannot be badged as M cars, therefore we don’t expect this X5 to be dubbed M X5 or X5 M or similar at all.
Latest BMW X5 4.8iS Spy Photos
Big air vents on the X5 4.8 iS
Ãœber X5 set to surpass all else
By Thami Masemola
January 21, 2008 3:19 PM
Filed Under: BMW, German, Spy Photos
Comments
smokeonit1
January 21, 2008 3:42 PM
with summer tires in Arjeplog??? WTF???
Fer
January 21, 2008 9:44 PM
It 's going to be great. I´m specting just to HEAR one of them passing trough...
autoque
January 21, 2008 10:09 PM
4.4-liter bi-turbo found in X6 only produces 400+ horsepowers. Then how can X5 produce 500 horsepowers if it uses the same engine. Maybe it's tweaked, but why does X6 get less out of the same engine when X5 gets 500+? Possibility that the source might be wrong after all?
DSC_OFF
January 22, 2008 12:42 AM
Wouldn't this just be the X5 xDrive50i just like the recently released X6 xDrive50i? I am assuming all cars will eventually get the twin turbo six and the twin turbo eight, right?
AmazingJerry
January 22, 2008 12:50 AM
autoque, just like the VW 2.0 liter turbo makes from 175 to 272 hp. Its all about providing choices fro differnt products.
user
January 22, 2008 10:57 AM
The old generation x5 4.6iS engine was 255kW and it was exactly 4.6 liter of displacement, however at the same time the 745i had the entirely different engine with the different output and redline. The displacement of 745i also was different - like 4.8 liters. If im not wrong the redlines on the x5 performance versions was also a couple hundreds rpm's later than on identical engine vesrions. Therefore, i really hope the new x5 performance version will get the special engine, thus i hope it will be tweaked and get more power than xdrive50i...whatever its called. Otherwise, i dont see the way bmw can compete with porsche and ml63 amg on the paper, not considering the driving, keeping in mind that paper shi*t is more importatant for most of the buyers nowadays.
mojammer
January 22, 2008 11:33 AM
I'm definitely excited for this. Almost for sure it'll be a TT V8, and I have no doubt that BMW can tweak it to make over 500hp. The TT I6 makes almost 300hp at the wheels, so with similar tuning a 4.4L V8 could make around 480-500hp. It'll weigh a lot though, I'll guess around 5500lbs.
rublazar
January 22, 2008 1:44 PM
Where do you see summer tires? As far as I can see, they seem to be GoodYear Ultra Grip winter tires....
AG4
January 23, 2008 8:22 AM
"but why does X6 get less out of the same engine when X5 gets 500+? Possibility that the source might be wrong after all?" The Twin-Turbo V8 in the X6 plays the same role as the 4.8 liter V8 in the current X5. The more powerful Twin-Turbo V8 that will go on the X5 should be the SUV equivalent of the M engines.
Of course there is another possibility. Maybe BMW will just upgrade the 4.8 liter V8 of the top X5 to the same 400hp Twin Turbo V8 found in the top X6.
Add Comment
[cancel]
