GT5 Transcripts/BMW M5 '05

The BMW M5 based on the S-generation E60 5 Series, first appeared in March 2004 at the Geneva Motor Show. Details were shrouded in secrecy at first, but BMW revealed the whole package around the time of the Paris Motor Show that September.

Drawing the most interest was the engine, a 5.0-liter V-10. It featured a 90-degree bank angle and a high strength cast-iron crankshaft, supported by six bearings for extra structural strength housed in a lightweight aluminum crankcase. It incorporated BMW's double-VANOS system, a mechanism that independently varied the valve timing of both the intake and exhaust valves. Each cylinder had its own throttle body with variable throttle valves. The result was 500 HP/7750 rpm and 384.0 ft-lb of torque. The close proximity of peak power delivery to the rev limit of 8250 rpm meant that the power plant constantly produced power all the way to the redline. The 1755 kg car ran from zero to 62 mph in a scant 4.7 seconds and boaster a top speed of 205 mph (with the 155 mph restrictor removed).

The gearbox was also noteworthy in that it was the company's all new 7-speed SMG. Besides launch control, the transmission also featured six manual and five automatic shift modes, each with their own shift speed and response, allowing finer control in a variety of driving conditions.

Introduced to the European market in January 2005, the M5 represented ultimate sports sedan of the 21st century.