The fourth-generation BMW M5, known internally as the E60, is one of the most ambitious road cars BMW M GmbH has ever built. It took a comfortable executive saloon and fitted it with a high-revving naturally aspirated V10 engine whose character owed more to motorsport than to the motorway.
Where it came from
By the early 2000s the M5 had a clear tradition: a discreet four-door body with the performance of a sports car. The previous E39 M5 had used a 4.9-litre V8 with around 400 hp, and it was widely considered the benchmark of its class. For its successor, BMW M wanted a clear step forward rather than a simple evolution.
At the time, BMW was supplying V10 engines to the Williams Formula 1 team. That experience with high engine speeds, light rotating parts and precise engine management directly influenced the road-car project. The result was the S85, a 5.0-litre V10 designed to rev beyond 8,000 rpm while still meeting emissions rules and daily-driving expectations.
Launch
A concept version was shown in 2004, and the production saloon arrived in 2005. Customers got a car that looked restrained compared with many rivals: four exhaust tips, subtle aerodynamic changes, gills in the front wings and larger wheels were the main visual clues. The real news was under the bonnet and in the driving experience.
- Engine: 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 (S85B50)
- Output: 507 hp (373 kW) and 520 Nm
- Redline: 8,250 rpm
- Gearbox: 7-speed SMG III automated manual (a 6-speed manual was later offered in North America)
Technology for the driver
The E60 M5 was full of systems that let the driver shape the car's behaviour. A POWER button switched between a softer 400 hp map and the full 507 hp map. The M Drive button on the steering wheel stored a personal set-up — engine response, gearshift speed, damper setting, stability-control mode and head-up display — so the driver could recall a favourite configuration instantly.
Electronic Damper Control offered several firmness levels, and the head-up display could show engine speed and a shift indicator directly in the driver's line of sight, a rare feature in 2005.
The Touring
In 2007 BMW added the E61 M5 Touring, an estate version with the same V10 drivetrain. It was produced in much smaller numbers than the saloon and today is one of the most sought-after modern M cars.
Legacy
When production ended in 2010, BMW M moved to turbocharged engines with the F10 M5 and its twin-turbo V8. That made the E60 the last M5 with a naturally aspirated engine and the only one with a V10. Its sound, its willingness to rev and its engineering ambition are the reasons enthusiasts still celebrate it — and the reason this site exists.
Figures in this article are commonly published manufacturer data for European-market cars. Exact specifications can vary by market and model year.