BMW in Europe has handed its M550i xDrive Sedan a significant power upgrade, effectively transforming it into something of an “M5 Lite”.
When the M550i (which, of course, is not offered in South Africa) was first revealed in 2016, its twin-turbo 4,4-litre V8 churned out 340 kW and 650 N.m. But thanks to what BMW describes as “a generation change for the V8 engine”, the sedan now makes 390 kW and 750 N.m.
The 50 kW/100 N.m hike comes courtesy of an “optimised crankcase and larger turbochargers”. As before, the eight-cylinder teams up with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission, intelligent all-wheel drive and model-specific chassis technology.
The Munich-based firm has yet to release performance figures for the updated model, but it’ll surely be quicker to 100 km/h than the outgoing version (which hit the mark in a claimed 4,0 seconds)
Laserlight (with selective beam) will also be added as an option from July 2019, when the power upgrade kicks in.
For the record, the M5 is worth 441 kW and 750 N.m, with the Competition model hitting 460 kW and 750 N.m.
