The E60 M5 was introduced in 2005, with an uneven firing V10 engine and 7 speed sequential manual gear box linking the car with the BMW Sauber Formula One program. The E60 M5 was the world's first production sedan to feature a V10 petrol engine. A 7 speed sequential manual gear box (SMG III) was available, and a six-speed manual transmission gear box was available for the USA only. As with some of its predecessors, the E60 variant of the M5 was both the quickest and fastest 4-door sedan in the world at the time of its release.
The E60 uses an odd firing V10 which has won multiple World Engine of the Year awards, S85 engine produces 507 PS (373 kW; 500 bhp) and 520 N·m (380 lb·ft) of torque. The engine and transmission were designed from scratch for this particular model; they are not based on other models.
The BMW M5, along with the E63/64 BMW M6, were designed to use the new Getrag SMG III single-clutch seven-speed semi-automatic transmission, that performs gear shift in 65 milliseconds. The SMG III sequential manual includes features like a hill holder, a designated drive program for steep climbs and descents, and a downshift assistant, which briefly dips the clutch to avoid destabilizing wheel spin as well as a pseudo-automatic mode. However, many reviews have observed the automatic mode of the transmission at low or frequent stop start speeds as being less smooth than that of a conventional automatic transmission.
There is launch control, which allows maximum performance standing starts automatically. The Getrag SMG III single-clutch semi-automatic transmission has the option of changing to either automated or manual, as well as the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programmes in total, forming what BMW calls Drivelogic). Manual shifting can be done with either a console shifter, or the steering wheel mounted shift paddles, both of which are fitted to all SMG M5s.
The car also features a "power" button on the navigation panel (labeled "M") which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 PS (294 kW; 395 bhp) for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 PS (373 kW; 500 bhp)), and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response, selectable only from the "M Drive Settings" in the iDrive menu). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using iDrive and then activated from P500 S using the "M" button.
The E60 M5 recorded an official lap time of 8:13 at the Nurburgring.
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