[UPDATE: BMW Group South Africa says the refreshed M5 Competition will hit local dealers in the final quarter of 2020. There are no plans to bring in the standard M5]
The facelifted BMW M5 Competition has been revealed, with the super-saloon gaining bits and pieces from its M8 siblings.
Slotting in at the summit of the refreshed 5 Series range (above the M550i xDrive confirmed for South Africa), the updated M5 Competition again employs a twin-turbo 4,4‑litre V8 engine, sending an unchanged 460 kW and 750 N.m to all four corners via an eight‑speed automatic transmission.
As you’d expect, it’s just as quick as before, hitting 100 km/h from standstill in a claimed 3,3 seconds and reaching the 200 km/h mark in a claimed 10,8 seconds. Thanks to the fitment of the M Driver’s Package, top speed is still a heady 305 km/h.
So, what’s new? Well, the facelifted M5 Competition gains new shock absorbers from the M8 Gran Coupé as well as a “retuned chassis”, resulting in what the Munich-based firm describes as “even better driveability and handling at the limit, combined with superior comfort levels”.
The M5 Competition now sits seven mm lower than the standard M5 and includes what BMW calls “other well-conceived tweaks to the suspension and springs”.
As with the refreshed 5 Series line-up, the M5-baded model’s kidney grille now drops down further into the front apron. Its chrome surround now features a single-piece design framing both kidney elements, which sport M‑specific double bars and an M badge.
The restyled front apron gains what BMW terms “bolder contouring” plus larger air intakes at the sides, while the central air intake is hexagonal in shape. The LED headlamps gain fresh “L-shaped” tubes, while the taillamps now bear what the company describes as a “three-dimensional feel”.
BMW says the 20-inch M double-spoke wheels in polished “Orbit Grey” (yes, from the M8) will be available as an option, while the standard M Compound brakes can now be specified with callipers painted in high-gloss black or high-gloss red as an alternative to the existing blue finish.
Inside, you’ll find an upsized 12,3-inch central display and BMW’s latest two-button operating concept, again courtesy of the M8. The “M Mode” button lets the driver toggle between the “road” and “sport” settings, while the “Setup” button takes them straight to the central display’s menu, where it is possible to select an individual configuration for the powertrain and chassis options.
The update furthermore includes new “Brands Hatch Grey” and “Motegi Red” metallic exterior colours, along with fresh BMW Individual paintjobs “Tanzanite Blue II metallic”, “Aventurine Red II metallic” and “matte Frozen Bluestone metallic”. Interestingly, “Champagne Quartz metallic” has been renamed “Alvit Grey metallic”.
