BMW gets competitive with special edition M5

The BMW M5 Competition Edition in Carbon Black. (BMW Group AG / Relaxnews)

BMW is saying goodbye to the fifth generation M5 super sedan with a special Competition Edition that ups the power, the luxury and the exclusivity.

The standard M5 is a phenomenal piece of automotive engineering. A family sedan that's equally at home on the Autobahn as it is on the Nurburgring or in the car park of a Scandinavian furniture retailer thanks to a wonderful TwinPower turbo 4.4-liter V8 under the hood that outputs 560hp and some 680Nm of torque.

So, to make the Competition Edition (which will be strictly limited to 200 examples) really stand out, BMW's engineers have been very busy. That engine now delivers 600hp (that's 20hp more than a Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2) and 20Nm more torque. That translates to a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds, and because the car will come with a dual-clutch transmission as standard, achieving those times in the real world should be simple.

To make the most of this extra performance in the bends as well as on the straights, BMW has dropped the Competition Edition's ride height by 10mm, firmed up the springs, dampers and stabilizers, tweaked the Active M differential and reconfigured the power steering so that drivers will find it even easier to corner at speed.

And the overhauling isn't restricted to elements under the skin. The Competition Edition sits on special 20-inch twin-spoke alloy wheels with jet black detailing, comes in either a special Carbon Black or Mineral White paint finish (100 examples of each) and the body sports a number of carbon aerodynamic elements such as the rear diffuser.

Inside, there's full Merino Black leather trim with contrasting white stitching and even the floor mats have been cut from Alcantara. Each edition sports interior badges denoting its number in the 200-model series and other special touches include a 1200-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system as standard, plus a Head Up display and a number of active safety features including Lane Departure Warning.

In fact, the only optional extra appears to be carbon ceramic brakes.

The BMW M5 Competition Edition is available to order now, and prices will start at $187,134.

And for those that miss out, don't worry. A brand new 5 Series and M5 derivative are will be coming next year.