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Work on the new BMW M5 is gathering pace, industry sources have revealed to Autocar. M division is collaborating closely with the team developing the next 5-series, and plans to take the supersaloon fight to Mercedes’s doorstep with an all-new, fifth-generation 550bhp M5 in 2011. Mercedes is currently working on a ground-up redesign of the E63 that will appear in 2009.
The new 5-series, due in 2010, will be an obvious evolution of today’s design, and the new M5 is expected to use the current ...Read the full article

I sincerely hope it'll look a bit more exciting than that computer generated image.

Because of course what the current M5 really needs is an extra 50 horsepower.

 I'd only be interested if cars this powerful have 'intelligent' four wheel drive available(like the GTR) in the UK, as opposed to 4 wheel drive merc's and BM's only available in left hand drive.  If either the E63 of M5 have 4 wheel drive available, even as an option, then I'd consider them.

Sacre bleur! An M car using forced induction! Whatever happened to BMW's reasons for using high revving naturally-aspirated engines?! Maybe they've finally seen that turbos aren't inferior (or better).

Is it my imagination or does the car in that picture look like a stretched/pulled/scaled M3?

You have just made all of this up. The illustration is just a rubbish photoshop mix  of the current model and the E92 M3.

The information about Efficient Dynamics is rehashed from press releases.

You have been speculating about a 5.5l version of the V10 since before the E60 M5 was even introduced, including the absurd suggestion that it would be used in an M5 CSL.

 As for this suggestion that there will be another version of the M5 with a turbo engine, that is just ridiculous.

There are no spy shots yet of the new 5 series so we don't know how it will look.

 As one who bought (and still owns) an E60 M5 having been on the waiting list, I hope for a more powerful version of the current V10, better fuel economy, a bigger tank, better brakes (this must happen,now that they have given decent brakes to the 135i) and lighter weight.
 

 

 

Zod - Nice hammering of the article. Seems perfectly fair criticism :-)

I understand you wanting better brakes on your M5. But you want "more power" and "lighter weight"?!! You don't want much but I like your style! What's wrong with the 500bhp on tap?

The picture, if accurate, looks a bit 'dumpy' so hope as you've posted it's a hash job.

i'd be upset too if an article like this came out and i owned an E60 M5.  that's thousands off the residuals straight away!

 

Zod is suggesting a host of improvements for the new model so it doesn't appear his motives have anything to do with retaining residuals!

 the effect on residuals either way will be minimal. If you spend £70k on a new car, you will lose at least £30k if you keep it for a few years. That's life.

 

I love the current car, but I don't see following the RS6 route as the way ahead. What's the point of extra power if it has to cope with extra weight? More power (even the same would be acceptable), but less weight, please. It's a four door saloon though, so there will not be a CSL and there should not be. 

This looks like what the M5 should be.I don't care what people say-four seats are handy but you'll only ever be in it yourself-its a drivers car not taxi !.It to some extent does'nt need a lot of weight adding toys- satnav tv etc.And what it really comes down to is that cars like this might be the last hurrah before legislation kills them off.