At the end of March 2018, BMW’s new F90-generation M5 will be launched in South Africa to take the fight to the latest Mercedes-AMG E63 S. So, just how much will this all-wheel-drive super-sedan set you back?
Well, while the local arm of the Munich-based automaker has yet to add the new M5 to its official price list, the high-performance saloon does appear on BMW SA’s configurator, where it is priced from R1 746 094. [UPDATE: an increase in VAT from 14% to 15% took the price to R1 762 806 at launch]
Of course, should you be willing to spend yet more cash, there’s an extensive options list that includes items such as 20-inch alloys (up from the standard 19-inch items), various leather packages for the cabin, an uprated sound system, seat massage (and heating/ventilation) functions, active cruise control, night vision, M carbon-ceramic brakes and even a trailer tow hitch. And, naturally, there’s also the (R36 800) M Driver’s Package that raises the electronically limited top speed from 250 km/h to 305 km/h.
As a reminder, the new M5 draws 441 kW (between 5 600 and 6 700 r/min) and 750 N.m (from as low as 1 800 r/min all the way through to 5 600 r/min) from its 4,4‑litre turbocharged V8 heart. Drive is sent to all four corners via a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission thanks to a new, switchable M-specific xDrive system (complete with a so-called drift mode).
And that allows the sedan to claim the title of the fastest accelerating road-legal, production BMW ever. Yes, the new M5 rockets from zero to 100 km/h in a claimed 3,4 seconds and from standstill to 200 km/h in a claimed 11,1 seconds.
Read our international driving impression here for a taste of what’s to come…
