BMW Builds a Special Edition M5 CSL

This morning at BMW’s prototype compound outside the Nurburgring the M Division took the wraps off of a special CSL version of the M5 meant to celebrate the sedan’s 25th anniversary. In fact M division’s head of development, Albert Biermann, is describing it as the “M5 CSL we never built”.

According to Autocar, the biggest changes lie under the hood with the standard 5 litre V10 being bored out to 5.5 litres. Elsewhere the M Division created a carbon fiber manifold with an increase air box capacity and an additional oil cooler. You can see evidence of this with the new air intake where you’d expect a front license plate to be. Unofficially power should be around 580 bhp with torque close to 400 lb ft. That’s up from 507 and 338 respectively. Those substantial gains make this the most power M engine ever in a BMW.

Channeling all of this rearward is a stronger version of the M3′s seven speed DCT transmission.

Once power was upped M turned their attention to “adding” lightness. A carbon fiber roof and a stripped out interior helped pare 110 lbs from the M5’s 4034 lbs curb weight.

Unfortunately M is looking at this car strictly as an engineering exercise as it’s currently busy creating the next generation M5. However it is worth noting that the DCT found in this car is likely quite similar to what will be in the F10 M5.