If there’s one thing the BMW M5 E60 didn’t need, it was power. The super sedan sold between 2004 and 2010 had the mighty “S85” engine, a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 with 507 hp and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft). If you happen to be an owner of one of the 19,523 sedans (or one of the 1,025 wagons) ever made, there’s a Dutch tuning shop that’ll strap on a supercharger.
The folks over at MTR Performance gave this 2007 M5 Sedan forced induction and put the high-performance luxury saloon onto the dyno. After four runs, horsepower peaked at 660 hp while torque maxed out at 640 Nm (471 lb-ft). These are some healthy numbers for an M car that was built 17 years ago, and it must be a real hoot to drive with all that power going only to the rear wheels.
This ten-cylinder engine was short-lived since BMW only used it in the two M5s as well as the M6 Coupe (E63) and M6 Convertible (E64) of which a combined 14,152 units were produced. The coupe was the most popular of the two-door cars, with 9,087 cars built, while the droptop model was assembled in 5,065 examples. In total, BMW made about 33,675 cars with V10 engines. However, the “S85” also powered a few non-BMW models, such as the Wiesmann GT MF5 and the obscure Vermot Veritas RS III.
This M5 has been subjected to additional changes since it has a carbon fiber hood and trunk lid, along with StopTech brakes. It also appears to have a different exhaust system judging by the quad finishers, while the refreshingly small kidney grille is a carbon fiber replacement. It seems to be sitting closer to the road, presumably because of a stiffer suspension setup.
Chris Harris recently bought an M5 Touring from this generation, but he intends to keep the V10 in its original NA configuration. In addition, he’s also not doing a manual gearbox swap but the renowned car journalist plans “something historical” with his beloved M5 E61, which was originally a press car he drove back when it was new.
As for BMW, it teased the new M5 earlier today in the Touring flavor (G99). It’s coming out later this year, presumably a few months after the sedan (G90).
Source: MTR Performance NL / YouTube
