BMW Thailand has launched the new F90 BMW M5,
marking the first time an M5 model is sold officially in the kingdom. The
performance sedan, which is priced at 13,339,000 baht, joins the
M2 and M4 already on sale in the country.
The M5 is powered by a 4.4 litre twin-turbocharged
V8 engine that makes 600 hp and 750 Nm of torque. Drive is sent to all four
wheels via a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, an M xDrive all-wheel drive
system and Active M Differential. In terms of performance, the M5 takes just
3.4 seconds to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint, and will hit a top speed of 250
km/h (305 km/h with the optional M Driver’s Package).
While it may be the first M5 to feature an all-wheel
drive system, drivers can still play around with the iDrive system to set the
car up to be rear-wheel drive only. Of course, this requires DSC to be switched
off completely, so you’ll need to be wide awake to pull off big drifts. The
company’s website also includes a page for the M5 First Edition, a
limited-number model (just 400 units worldwide) that has received the attention
of the BMW Individual division.
Where the standard M5 that will go on sale gets
19-inch wheels, the M5 First Edition will get a set of 20-inch units. Also part
of the equipment list is Shadow Line exterior trim – kidney grille, M gills and
tailpipes being finished in high-gloss black.
Inside the cabin, piano black trim is fitted to most
areas, and the centre console features the unique plaque ‘M5 First Edition 1/400’
as a reminder of the model’s exclusivity. There’s also M multifunction seats
upholstered in Smoke White Merino leather with red contrast stitching.
The natural competitor for the M5 will be the W213
Mercedes-AMG E 63 4Matic+, which has yet to be launched in Thailand. The AMG
model packs a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 that serves up 563 hp and 750 Nm, or 603
hp and 850 Nm in its more potent E 63 S 4Matic+ variant.
