Have you ever fantasized about speeding down the fabled Autobahn in a German sports sedan? It’s a fantasy that many aficionados have, but only a select few get to experience. We are fortunate that AutoTopNL recorded a 193 mph run in a 2021 BMW M5 Competition so that we may all experience this amazing moment together.
One of the most powerful BMWs ever produced, the 2021 BMW M5 Competition blends decades of engineering expertise in sports sedans with a tremendously powerful engine. A twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque powers the 2021 BMW M5 Competition.
An eight-speed automatic transmission transfers power to an all-wheel-drive system, which drives all four wheels. The M5 Competition’s engine is great, but the transmission and all-wheel drive system raise the bar for performance. The acceleration statistics are astounding; 0 to 60 mph can be reached in just 3.0 secs, and 0 to 100 mph can be reached in just 6.8. BMW claims that the M5 Competition’s highest speed is only 189 mph, but as we can see today, this is more of a guideline than a strict cap.
The BMW M5 is a powerful performance vehicle, no doubt, but part of what makes this storied sports sedan so special is its versatility. The BMW M5 is a kind of ultra-rich car enthusiast’s Golf GTI. This high-tech luxury vehicle has two driving modes: a comfort mode that provides a smooth, quiet ride, or a rear-wheel-drive mode that allows for dramatic drifts.
That’s the BMW M5’s real magic. There are many fast cars, but the real magic of the BMW M5 lies in its ability to blend supercar levels of performance with the usefulness of a sedan.
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Using the Autobahn, the BMW M5 Competition plows along at 193 mph.
When there isn’t enough room in the garage for both a family car and a supercar, what can be done? With the M5, BMW addresses this issue of the first order. At its foundation, it’s still an opulent and useful 5 Series, but the sportiness has been turned up a level. This is particularly true for the Competition variant with the M Driver’s Package.
The M5C has 617 horsepower overall, an increase of 17 horsepower over the normal model, so it has plenty of power. The normal M5 still has a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h), but you can loosen the limitation to 190 mph (305 km/h). That person who ordered this LCI model before AutoTopNL drove it down the Autobahn experienced the same thing.
The 2022 M5 Competition reached 193 mph (310 km/h) on a stretch of the German motorway without speed limits. Modern speedometers frequently display a higher speed than the actual velocity, as you are all aware. Actually, the electronic top speed limiter was activated by the super sedan. Yes, even the higher 190 mph claimed is still controlled electronically.
M5 in the Middle-Child
You cannot imagine a sports sedan without picturing the BMW M5. The M5 lineage has evolved from employing straight-sixes to V8s and V10s to back to V8s once more, albeit twin-turbocharged ones presently. It is arguably the most well-known and iconic of the fast four-doors. However, there are several 5 Series sedans that have been M-ified than the M5. The M5 Competition, the trim BMW lent me, and the top-tier M5 CS are included in the hierarchy after that. That M5 boasts rear bucket seats, 627 horsepower, lighter weights and stiffer materials throughout. Why? I’m not sure. The M5 Competition is your Goldilocks happy medium in this regard.
Even so, the M5 Comp’s performance figures speak for themselves: 617 horsepower, 553 pound-feet of torque, a 3.1-second projected zero to 60 time, and an electronically limited top speed of 190 mph with the optional M Driver’s Package (otherwise, it’s “only” 155 mph). The M5 Competition offers 10 percent firmer front and rear springs, a tighter anti-roll bar, and a suspension height that is 0.2 inches lower than the standard M5 in terms of handling.
What is the cost of all this quick goodness? A $7,600 price increase over the normal M5, which already starts at $104,4950, results in a $112,095 sticker price. Extra strength, costlier, and with more power. Before you even begin to add options, that is.
Every vehicle I’ve driven that has been put through a performance torture test has generally been terrible. I immediately think of the Ford Focus RS, which was so aggressively tuned that it was no longer a useful hatchback. Hatchbacks need to be useful! The Ram 1500 TRX, on the other hand, is like cruising in a Hellcat-powered office building. The BMW M8 Competition Convertible, the M5’s relative that was more entertaining while parked, comes in last.
With all of that in mind, I anticipated the M5 Comp to be yet another overpowered, jumbled-up German cyborg that was more powerful than necessary. It wasn’t, much to my amazement. Yes, it still has far more power than you’ll ever need for driving, and that power is only available for a fraction of a second before you end up in jail or cause an accident. In spite of this, and despite the fact that it could keep up with Ferraris and Porsches, BMW understood when to compromise between jaw-dropping performance and regular drivability.
What is the horsepower of the 2021 M5?
The tuned-out M5 Competition goes from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and has the same 155 mph and 190 mph top speeds that are electronically limited. The M5 sedan reaches 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and can achieve high speeds of 155 mph and 190 mph with the M Driver’s Package.
For handling all that wonderful torque, both vehicles have a M xDrive all-wheel drive system that is weighted toward the rear. XDrive provides three more adjustment levels (4WD, 4WD Sport, and 2WD), and the stability control system provides three further settings for even greater control.
These horsepower numbers are unchanged when compared to the 2020 M5. However, there’s really no reason to fix what ain’t broken when a German rocket is already capable of offering supercar acceleration wrapped into a regular car with track capabilities.
More power is always a good thing, but it’s not always required. It will work just fine with 600+ horsepower from two turbochargers and cross-bank exhaust manifolds.
Watch The BMW M5 Easily Reach 200 MPH
The BMW M5, particularly the most recent F90 variant, has a reputation for being one of the fastest cars available. An all-wheel drive system that can be swapped to rear-wheel drive when you want to kick the tail out is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that can produce up to 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque.
The M5 Competition needs 3.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour before reaching its peak speed cap of 155 mph. The peak speed rises to 189 mph when the optional M Driver’s Package is installed. Even while that’s already astonishingly quick for a full-size four-door sedan, tuning company Evolve Automotive is developing a new tuning package that would make the M5 into a 200 mph super car if you find that pace still too slow.
Evolve recently submitted the modified BMW M5 in the UK’s VMAX200 competition for a series of top speed runs to evaluate its performance. Despite issues with the launch control, the M5 manages to exceed 200 mph on the first run utilizing pump fuel with meth injection without breaking a sweat, even if it is already faster than several supercars. During a drag race, it also succeeds in leaving a Nissan GT-R for dust.
Only the top speed improves when racing fuel is added. The M5 was the quickest BMW M5 F90 and the fastest four-door sedan at the competition, despite the fact that the speedometer only goes up to 200 mph. According to official track data, the M5 attained 206 mph on pump petrol and 208 mph on race fuel.
It was also the sixth-fastest car at the race, trailing only three customized Porsche 911s, an Audi R8, a Lamborghini Huracan, and an Aston Martin Vantage (one of which hit an astounding 237 mph).
The fact that the BMW M5 broke the 200 mph barrier while using a stock engine and turbos is equally amazing. Evolve adjusted the ECU, installed a Supersprint catless exhaust, an Eventuri intake system, and a meth injection kit to increase cooling to get more performance out of the super sedan. The modified M5’s horsepower output hasn’t been disclosed by Evolve, but we wouldn’t be shocked if it now has more than 700 hp.
What is a BMW M5’s top speed?
The M5 is incredibly speedy thanks to its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8, which produces 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. It reached 60 mph at our test track in 2.8 seconds and completed the quarter mile in 10.9 seconds at 129 mph; the peak speed is a governor-limited 163 mph. There is now an M5 Competition model with 617 horsepower that is even more potent. At our annual Lightning Lap, it proved to be faster than the standard M5 on a genuine racetrack. The M5 faithful will bemoan the manual transmission’s demise and the all-wheel drive system’s unfamiliarity, but this BMW features a high-tech drivetrain that can deliver full power to the rear wheels for a really rear-drive mentality. Here, sharp and direct steering, a well-controlled (almost rigid) ride, and heroic cornering grip accentuate the driving experience. This does not imply that the M5 cannot serve as a luxury sedan as well: It cruises peacefully and is incredibly quiet inside the cabin when in Comfort mode.
Is the BMW M5 a quick vehicle?
This engine’s 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque enable the M5 Competition to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.3 seconds. The transmission of the M5 Competition is an innovative eight-speed M-Steptronic unit that uses an M-Differential to help with high-speed cornering and sends power to both axles via xDrive.