Originally Posted by IndianCarsBikes

BMW 550dXM (M5 diesel car) confirmed for spring 2012!


2012 BMW M5

The rumours about a diesel BMW M5 have turned out to be true, then. The Detroit Bureau is reporting this story and that insiders have confirmed that an M5 powered by a diesel engine could be on its way by as early as spring of 2012. It might have a diesel engine under the hood which by some is regarded as something you might not want to rope-in to make a sporty sedan like the BMW M5. Don’t think for a moment though that, the BMW M5 with its diesel engine hasn’t turned in to a lazy, low revving muscle car.

BMW call it the 550dXM, which in plain English refers to a 5-Series poked by BMW’s M-Division and history has shown that when the guys at BMW skunk works get hold of a car, civilized madness is what best describes the thing that rolls off their production line. But this time, they decided to break one of their rules and instead of V-million engine the opted for a 3000 cc oil burner. Some body probably thought, a twin-turbo V8 is bit too old fashioned and hence, they screwed in a third turbocharger to the 3.0 litre engine. The result of which is a 3.0 litre straight-six with three turbochargers.

Porsche put a twin-turbo flat-six in the 911 Turbo to get rid what is called turbo-lag. BMW goes a step further, even nullifying any possibility of lag by adding a third turbine. BMW also had an aim to decrease the rate at which the M5 drank fuel and what better option could there be other than a diesel engine. The engine uses a smaller turbocharger which runs at lower revs while two large twin-scroll turbochargers take over for high-speed performance. The new M5 also makes use of a variety of advanced technologies, including direct injection and BMW’s Valvetronic system, designed to optimize the function of intake and exhaust engine valves.

The power from the new engine is believed to be in the range of 500-550 bhp while producing upwards of 650 torques. To lay all this power on the tarmac, BMW has roped in a four-wheel drive system which ensures no power is wasted spinning the wheels. This also confirms what TeamICB reported a few months back. We had relayed to you the buzz going around in the media about an all-wheel-drive BMW M5 on the horizon. It seems we are just months away then from the actual reveal of the car.

BMW also plans to launch the new diesel engine in its other vehicles like the X-Series SUVs. It is also believed that BMW will use a version of the new tri-turbo diesel in a later version of the flag ship 7-Series limousine. The BMW X5 and X6 will also get the engine in one form or the other. Sources say that the diesel M5 might be showcased at the Geneva Motor show in early 2012 although, BMW won’t confirm it at the moment. BMW also expects other rival brands to follow with their diesel powered high performance concept. BMW surely has earned the name of the trend-setters lately