M Town: Big bang event also a last blast?

Is this extravagant ultimate power play at a celebrated NZ racing circuit a sign-off for BMW’s mightiest machines in fossil-fuelled formats?

 IMPRESSION a just-started M car celebration laid on by BMW here at the moment could be a final hurrah for these hot rods in fully fossil-fuelled form is being downplayed.

 As much as it agrees that electric seems to be set to be an M ingredient, the local distributor says the ‘when’ and ‘in what’ aspects are still be sorted and assures that product it offers presently is definitely sticking around for a while yet.

So, if customers attending the big M Town event currently on at Hampton Downs racing circuit to drive latest hard-core petrol-addicted fare - the new Competition editions of the M3 and M4 plus the recently-added M5 and M8 – plus an assortment of lower-tier M Performance models, are to raise this subject?

BMW New Zealand product and pricing manager Tim Michaelson offers several thoughts.

First, as much as head office has indicated that an M battery car seems likely, we can keep calm and carry on in respect to the ‘old school’ hot rods here now - they are not set to be short-stay residents. 

Also, he says, little else can be said because it’s not company policy to speak about future product. 

Finally, however the cards are played “I think M cars are always going to excite and exhilarate.”

Still, a path seems to be set. As much as sightings overseas this week of an even more radical M4, in ‘ready to race’ CS Clubsport trim, would seem to cement thought that the performance division is still developing more traditional product, it also has committed to going battery-powered as well.

M Division head Markus Flasch said in January his mob will have an “electrically powered performance automobile for the first time” later in 2021.

That would seem to time with the schedule for M Town. Assuming this high-production, big budget event first tried in 2019, with snow driving, continues to stage every second year, then the next will be in 2022 – the 50th anniversary of the performance badge.

So what chance we will see some plug-in-then-play cars next time around?

Michaelson’s comment about that is an acknowledgement that, yes, BMW has shown off a concept, the Vision M Next of 2019, which has been interpreted as a replacement for the petrol-electric i8 coupe.

Also, “globally there has been communication about future and concept cars. They have definitely signalled they are working on that.

“But I cannot comment on anything concrete at this point of time.

“They have not communicated anything officially about what is coming next nor have they said that these will be the last, if at all, combustion engines. There is definitely no communication around that at all.

“Electric is where things are headed and definitely BMW will be involved in that. I think M cars will always continue to excite people.

“(But) I don’t think anyone attending this event needs to worry about these being the last of the petrol M cars, in the short term.”

There’s talk Vision M Next won’t make production, due to cost, and that instead the first electric M cars will be based on two fully-electric products confirmed for NZ.

These are the iX arriving in a few months’ time and the i4 coupe set to release next year. The first is a SUV similar in size to the X5 and the latter is a low-slung five-door car, in the style that BMW calls a Grand Coupe, so is similar in look and dimension to the current M3.

Flasch is promising these cars will present “a completely new manifestation of the distinctive M feeling”.

For his part, Michaelson says he can sense a generally positive vibe from consumers in respect to BMW’s electric car planning.

As big as an oil to ohms transition will be, he also doesn’t imagine many, if any, M addicts coming through this event might relate thought that, if the petrol crusade ends here and now, today’s fare will be the last cars they will buy.

Still, if that was the case, what a way to see the oil era out: The $168,990 M3 sedan and $172,990 M4 two-door coupe sister ships, running a 375kW/650Nm turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six cylinder, and the $234,500 M5 sedan and $342,900 M8 five-door Grand Coupe, sharing a turbocharged V8 but in differing tune – so 460kW and 750Nm in the first, 450kW and 750Nm in the other – are absolute standouts in their categories; huge shove, belligerent soundtracks and pin-sharp dynamics are common traits.

Useful for this occasion but maybe no other, is a new M3/M4 feature called an M Drift Analyser. This will give a driver a star rating out of five for how well they’ve achieved some sideways sliding. Just a shame no-one could work out how to actuate it to judge the skills of the professional drivers whose day-ending hot laps were the first occasion to experience the cars with traction controls disabled.

 The track cars also had the optional M Carbon bucket seats, which look like the sort you’ll find in serious racing cars and come as part of a $9000-plus carbon pack. Worth it? They’re hard to get out of because of the curious raised insert bissecting the top part of the base. Officially, it’s designed to keep your legs in place under high corner loads. Don’t be surprised, though, if you hear sniggering remarks. As British motoring mag Autocar says, it runs risk of being miscontrued as “some kind of carbonfibre penis tray.” Don’t risk the embarrassment.

But yes, they’re furiously fast cars, though that’s not to say anything from the electric corner couldn’t be as captivating (except, of course, in respect to the soundtrack).

At the time of the i4’s 2020 launch, BMW said its 390kW powertrain ranked it “alongside a current BMW V8”. The i4 is capable of 0-100kmh in 4.0 seconds – so 0.1s slower than the M3 and M4, 0.7s off the M5 and 0.8s behind the M8. With a range of just over 595km though, it might go further on a tank than all of these and, of course, will be much cheaper to refill.

Michaelson says Hampton Downs is a great fit for M Town’s theme of being ‘the only place in the world where too much is just right.’

Getting to try the pukka M cars on the national circuit – at up to 160kmh - reminds that “M cars are born for the track. This is where people can enjoy these cars.”

Other challenges for media, influencers and brand ambassadors yesterday included putting a selection of lower tier M Performance product through handling and sprint exercises, taking the SUVs and crossovers around a tame off-road course and coming up with nice things to say about the M3 and M4’s latest facial look.

The M Town investment is worth it because this is a powerful letter in New Zealand. Our uptake of M or M Performance models is the world’s highest in percentile terms – one in every four BMWs sold last year were in either of those configurations.

M is also big for BMW internationally; 2020 was a record year of sales, Flasch reported recently.

Meantime, there’s no local comment yet about the M4 CS, which is still undergoing trials but should be in production next year.

Sightings this week of an engineering mule running on European roads reveal a deeper front splitter, reprofiled side skirts, a more aggressive rear diffuser and a larger ducktail spoiler. As with the M5 CS, it is expected the coupe’s bonnet will be swapped for a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic replacement.

But it will be far more than a visual shake-up. The website for Britain’s Auto Express motoring magazine says engineers will undertake work on the M4’s chassis, too, fitting lowered suspension and new dampers. It also appears to have drilled brakes with larger calipers than on the M4. 

Alongside changes to the suspension and braking system, BMW will aim to make the CS version lighter than the baseline M4 model with a number of revisions matching the 70kg weight reduction seen in the M5 CS. Depending on the scale of the weight-reduction, Auto Express believes, BMW could even look to reintroduce the CSL badge - it applied trademarks for both M4 CS and M4 CSL back in 2017. 

Inside, the M4 CS should get a similarly race-inspired makeover with an Alcantara steering wheel, carbon fibre bucket seats and some new seat belts which have been branded with red and blue stripes - the signature colours of BMW’s M Division.

As for power? The pundits reckon BMW is all but certain to eke out a little more from the ‘D58’ straight six, perhaps as much as 395kW.

M Division gasses up M5 with CS

The ‘ultimate’ M5 is no longer the Competition.

TWENTY for the neighbour … how many in ‘our’ driveway?

‘Come back tomorrow.’

That’s the response from BMW New Zealand’s public relations people when asked about the national allocation of the most powerful and fastest accelerating car the German make’s specialist M performance house claims it has ever produced.

The local distributor appears caught on the hop in respect to the M5 CS … an intention to wait until tomorrow (January 28) to deliver the lowdown on the car puts it a day behind the rest of the world.

The model’s global announcement this morning was quickly followed by key markets, Australia including, confirming they will enjoy the new model which, though not a limited count car, is subject to a limited build run, in that it will be available for one model year. 

It’s clear right-hand-drive markets are in line for the car, as Australia is taking 20, these arriving mid-year.

New Zealand’s allocation will likely be fair more modest – somewhere between one and nine would seem a safe bet. Price? Also a guesstimate. Australians are paying the equivalent of $327,000.

The car’s potential collectability status is high: You’re buying into a similar formula to that set out by previous CS-badged BMWs (M2 CS, M3 CS and M4 CS) and the next step up from the M5 Competition, but with many upgrades, including the most powerful engine in the history of BMW M, to create a sharper, more track-focused package.

Specific features are a reprogrammed four-wheel drive system, bespoke chassis tuning and a series of lightweight carbonfibre parts that contribute to a 70kg weight reduction over the M5 Competition.

Anyone buying in will likely stick in straight into the pool room, though let’s hope they might follow the brand’s recommendation and divert en route to a motor racing circuit.

The familiar 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 has been worked over to output 467kW, with torque rated at 750Nm.

The power is well above that from the standard M5’s 412kW/680Nm, but it’s just a 7kW gain and the same torque loading as that offered by the M5 Competition.

BMW nonetheless attests the car will run to 100kmh from a standing start in three seconds – so, a tenth quicker than the Competition – knock out 0-200kmh in 10.4s and achieve an electronically limited top speed of 306kmh.

So, maybe not a race track but a very long runway if you want to have a chance of seeing the latter.

The revised M5 CS engine also gains a redesigned oil pan with an additional sump and indirect charge air cooling. Further changes are focused on the engine mounts, which has a spring rating of 900N per millimetre for a more rigid mounting and a smoother transmission of power to each wheel, according to BMW’s performance division. 

The M5 CS’s chassis is described as being based on that of the M5 Competition but with shock absorbers originally developed for another heavy hitter, the M8 Gran Coupe Competition, that reduce the ride height by 7mm.

The new dampers are claimed to reduce the fluctuation in wheel loads. In combination with new spring bearings for the damper control measures front and rear, as well as standard-fit 20 inch wheels shod with 275/35 front and 285/35 rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, they are claimed to greatly improve on-the-limit handling.

The increase in performance has resulted in M carbon-ceramic brakes being fitted as standard. They use six-piston fixed calipers at the front and single-piston floating calipers at the rear and are claimed to weigh 23kg less overall than the steel disc system that comes as standard on the M5 Competition.

Additional weight savings for the M5 CS have been achieved through the adoption of a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bonnet. The car also uses carbonfibre for the front splitter, mirror caps, rear spoiler and diffuser.

A gold bronze grille and headlights tinged with yellow are also CS specific and the interior also has specific fitouts, notably the rear bench seat being dumped for two individual chairs. The outline of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit is displayed on the head restraints. On the front seats, the restraints also have illuminated M5 logos. 

Fresh look M5 now in fresh format

The updated BMW M5 is out … and this time, it’s a double act.

The M5 Competition (above) is subject to a price hike … but now there’s also a dollar-saving Pure.

THIS time around, it’s no longer a policy of ‘only the best will do’ – now we’re in line to take the second-best, too.

 Admittedly, that shouldn’t be seen as a dismissive, as the car to which this policy applies is one of the very greats.

Still, it’s an interesting development that, for the first time, the BMW M5 on occasion of the release of a mid-life refresh will be made available in not just it’s most hardcore furnishing, again called the Competition, but also in the pared-down format – known as the ‘Pure’ – that has previously been left behind in Europe.

 BMW New Zealand has not offered no explanation for its policy change, but perhaps it comes down to price and positioning opportunity that comes.

 The ‘lesser’ model still has heaps of grunt, strong spec and a big sporting pedigree – and it comes in at $189,900. The Competition, meantime, is a $234,300 ask.

 Which means? Well, buy the lesser and you get an M5 for $10k less than the preceding car cost, or go for the Competition and prepare to be hit with a $35k price jump.

 Outwardly, the extra outlay seems unnecessary. Both editions run a common 4.4-litre V8 massaged with two turbos, relaying via an eight speed Steptronic transmission, and while the Competition has another 19kW power than the Pure, which produces the same 441kW as the pre-facelift car, they both deliver 750Nm and both reach 100kmh from a standing start in the same time: 3.3 seconds. They’ll also strike 200kmh in 10.8s. Top speed remains at 305kmh.

 So where does the M5 Competition deliver an edge? Well, in theory it’ll be under brakes and when charging around corners. The top dog has received chassis revisions and takes new shock absorbers from the M8 Gran Coupe. It sits 7mm lower and the suspension components are tuned to give the car around 10 percent more stiffness.  Engine mounts have a stiffer spring rate and M Compound brakes are upgraded to carbon ceramic units. It also has the same 20-inch wheels used by the M8.

 What to do with all this heft? The Competition having a Track drive mode which turns off all non-essential systems and deactivates most of the safety features to ensure maximum concentration from the driver suggests BMW wants owners to head their local race circuit.

 Overseas the Competition takes alone takes the M Sport exhaust system with flap-controlled tailpipes. In New Zealand it becomes standard to the Pure as well. And, of course, , the now-familiar BMW M xDrive – an intelligent all-wheel drive system that provides drivers with a choice of three drive mode settings, depending on desired driving outcomes – is standard, too.

 The updated model features styling changes, the most obvious being new headlights and taller twin kidney grille design. It also gets a larger front air intake, bolder contouring and a revamped tail-light arrangement.

 The Competition gets black paintwork on the intake and gill mesh, grille surround, wing mirror caps, bootlid spoiler and rear apron inserts, specific black badging and black chrome exhaust tips.

 Changes inside the cabin primarily extend to a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen (up from 10.25”) and two new buttons added to the centre console – M1 and M2.

 These allow drivers to flick between Road and Sport driving modes and provide a shortcut to the configuration menu within the infotainment system to tailor the car’s set-up to their liking.

 Merino leather M seat upholstery, four-zone climate control, Alcantara anthracite BMW Individual headlining, leather-clad instrument panel, roller sunblinds, M seatbelts and soft-close doors are provisioned.

 In terms of technology, BMW Operating System 7.0 powers the infotainment system while audio is played through a 16-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround-sound system.

 Other features include BMW Live Cockpit Professional, BMW Connected Package Professional, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, M head-up display, BMW Drive Recorder, tyre pressure monitoring, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Plus and BMW Laser Light.

German super-sedans pack performance, styling tweaks

Updated BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 maintain their parity in powerhaus pedigree.

FOUR Twenty, 441, 450, 460 – pick a number, right?

Always with awareness that where you land on the kiloWatt chart also dictates one of two badge preferences when selecting a German premium all-paw performance sedan that’s not an Audi.

The first and third counts put you with Mercedes AMG, and behind the wheel of an E63 AMG in standard and S formats. The remainder with a Five Series fettled by BMW’s M Division, primarily as the ‘starter’ edition, ultimately in Competition mode.

Yup, it’s mid-life upgrade time for two supercar-slaying sedans and, as always, where one goes, the other is quick to follow, with both laying down big numbers.

Which also relate to? Well, torque, which optimally hits 750Nm behind the blue and white roundel and 800Nm behind the star, top speeds - 300kmh optimally from the E63 S, another 5kmh more with the Competition (with the optional M Driver’s package fitted) – and, of course, those all-important 0-100kmh times: just 3.3 seconds for the M5 in hottest fettle, which makes it 0.1 faster to the legal highway limit from a standing start than the most potent E 63. There are economy figures too but … not of any particular interest, right?

So, which to chose? It might all come down to price, which is still a mystery for our market, though potentially the current stickers won’t be too far shy of the new prices, and availability … which means quarter three for the Munich monster, some time prior to Christmas for Affalterbach’s.

The other important thing to recognise is that, while both makes are talking of these incoming missiles as being ‘new’ models, they really mean ‘massaged.’ Quite subtly, for the most part.

Those twin turbo V8 engines – a 4.4‑litre from Beamer, a 4.0-litre out of the other crowd – gearboxes (eight‑speed auto with BMW, nine-speed AMG), and the fancy all-wheel-drive - that can be configured in a special rear-drive mode with the M5 - are all as before.

What’s incoming is the same range of minor cosmetic updates found on the recently revised 5 Series So the M5 now sports the updated kidney grille which extends a little further down into the bumper and has a one-piece chrome surround. The new front end gains larger air intakes at the sides while the main aperture is now hexagonal. The LED lights front and rear are new, as is the rear bumper.

Interior revisions also mirror those on the standard 5 Series, with buyers getting a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger infotainment screen. Electrically adjustable sports seats and sun protective glass come as standard, while a Harmon/Kardon stereo, head-up display and an Alcantara headlining can be specced as optional extras, as can a Technology Plus pack that adds front and rear seat heating, a heated steering wheel, soft close doors and a seat massage function. The M5’s Ultimate Pack builds on this specification with a carbon fibre engine cover and Bowers and Wilkins surround sound system. A lot of comforts for a performance car? That’s your modern M5 customer.

There is a new 20-inch wheel design while the brake calipers can be finished in black or red as an alternate to the usual blue. The Competition’s are gold, as before.

Chassis upgrades over the standard BMW 5 Series include uprated dampers, stiffer engine mounts and larger disc brakes, with fixed six-piston calipers up front and single piston calipers at the rear. Buyers can also opt for a range of M Performance extras, such as coilover suspension and carbon fibre aero components. The Competition model sits seven millimetres lower. 

There’s a broader range of standard driver assistance technology, too. Buyers get lane- keeping assist, lane-change assist, a 360-degree parking camera, and BMW’s Parking Assistant Plus, which can take control of the car’s steering when reversing into spaces. BMW also now offers a Drive Recorder function, which uses the car’s built-in cameras to record footage from around the vehicle.

So how does the AMG respond? Basically, by following the same plot. 

The revamped styling also includes a larger grille created in an effort to differentiate it more from the wider E-Class range and aerodynamic tweaks to optimise both grip and airflow to the engine.

Although the powertrains’ outputs are unchanged, Mercedes-AMG says considerable tuning has been carried out to widen the E63’s performance window. Work has also been done to refine the dampers and chassis, while the dynamic engine mounts on the E63 S have been tweaked so they adapt more quickly to driving conditions.

 Further development has been carried out on the AMG Dynamic Select software, which adjusts systems such as the drive programmes, all-wheel drive systems and ESP stability control. The AMG Dynamics Plus package, which includes a Race drive mode and Drift function, is standard on the E63 S and is offered as an option for the base model for the first time.

The front bodywork of the machine has been honed for aerodynamic balance, with AMG engineers and aerodynamicists focused on reducing wind resistance and increasing high-speed stability. The wheel arches have been enlarged by 22mm to accommodate a wider track

At the rear, there are flatter brake lights, a reshaped apron, which has also been aerodynamically optimised and a new diffuser.

The standard E63 has new 19in alloy wheel options, while the S version that’s always been favoured for NZ gains new 20 inch aerodynamically optimised five-spoke alloy designs. 

There are new paint colour options previously offered on the Mercedes-AMG GT range only and the usual optional AMG Night Package adds extra styling tweaks, including a gloss black finish for the mirrors, window frame and exhaust pipes. 

Inside, the E63 feature similar tweaks to the rest of the facelifted E-Class range, including the latest version of the MBUX infotainment system and digital instrument display, both of which offer bespoke AMG display options. 

There is also a new twin-spoke AMG Performance steering wheel with haptic feedback controls and offered with Dinamica microfibre or leather, or combination finish. The wheel includes a ‘hands on’ sensor that will trigger warnings and, eventually, activate emergency brake assist if it detects the driver does not have their hands on the wheel for an extended period. Mated to the new wheel are larger aluminium paddle shifters that can operate the nine-speed transmission.