BMW M5 Touring: V10 Fun For The Whole Family

By Motoring Channel Staff - 16/Jan/2006

Detroit, USA — BMW's M5 is one of the most popular cars today - we should know, we go through the Motoring Channel's statistics every week, and the BMW M5 is always one of the most viewed articles, along with the usual Ferrari and Bugatti dossiers.

With all the hype surrounding the M5 - not to mention it's sales success - it was only a matter of time before BMW's 'M' division unleashed another V10-powered model on top of the M5 and M6, and that new car is the M5 Touring.

A station wagon by any other name, often referred to as an 'estate' body style in Europe, the new M5 Touring features a much higher rear end, allowing a more family-friendly and spacious boot. The boot provides up to 1650 litres of cargo space, which is very good.

And like it's sedan-based sibling, the M5 Touring is powered by a strong 5.0-litre V10 engine that kicks out 378kW (507hp), sits on large 19-inch alloy wheels and features an aggressive front end design and four exhaust outlets at the rear. 

BMW says the M5 Touring is just one tenth (0.1) of a second slower to 100km/h from standstill than the sedan version, putting down a zero to 100km/h dash of just 5.0 seconds. Though whether that sprint time is just with the driver or a full load, including two adults, three kids, and a boot full of junk is not 100% clear.

With a 5.0-litre V10 engine capable of revving to 8250rpm, and able to reach speeds of 250km/h, this increased weight probably won't put too much of a strain on such a powerful engine, and together with all the other options that M5 sedan owners get, such as the 7-speed SMG (semi manual gearbox), high performance tyres and driver focussed controls, the new M5 Touring is expected to bolster BMW's high-end performance range with a touch of practicality.

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