Hottest 50 Cars, Trucks, and SUVs for 2006
One of the most talked about cars in the past year, the BMW M5 launches for 2006 with space shuttle thrust from a powertrain that most definitely wasn't farmed out to the lowest bidder. The engine truly is the heart of this beast, with the mechanical alchemy being equally enticing as the four-door's track performance. BMW's net result is an engine that displaces 5.0 liters like the old M5's, weighs the same despite two more cylinders, and revs higher to give another 100 horsepower. BMW contends that high revs allow a lower final drive, and so the possibility of lighter drivetrain components. It has VANOS timing variators on all four camshafts, a 12.0:1 compression ratio, and an oil system that, in moments of high lateral g, switches on special extractor pumps to prevent oil from collecting in the outside cylinder head. The chassis is in principle like a regular 5's, but with reinforcement, tweaked geometry, and a firmer setup. EDC adaptive dampers (with three programs) are included. In the 2005 International Engine of the Year Awards, the M5's V-10 raced home with four trophies.
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