BMW fuses wagon utility with unadulterated performance in its 2008 BMW M5 Touring to create a grocery-getter that can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds — fast enough to splatter untethered bags of eggs and cereal against the rear window.
"Touring" is BMW's global descriptor for its wagons. The same formula BMW used to create the M5 sedan is duplicated on the Touring, only a 5 Series wagon is used in place of the sedan. Unfortunately, U.S. buyers won't get a chance to experience the M5 Touring because BMW will not likely import its superwagon to U.S. dealers.
Exterior
There's little that distinguishes the M5 Touring from the sedan, other than the obvious wagon tail end. The same large front air dam, fender vents, swooping side skirts and quad-tailpipe exhaust subtly hint at the Touring's performance capabilities.
The M5 Touring can tow up to 3,969 pounds (400 more than BMW's compact X3 SUV) and seat five passengers. That's enough pulling power to tow a small camper or a pair of Jet Skis.
Interior
The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split for a cargo capacity of 57.8 cubic feet, which is 40 cubic feet more than the sedan.
Rear occupants will notice the two-piece glass panoramic roof. Both planes of glass tilt into vent mode; only the front glass opens completely.
Under the Hood
The 507-horsepower V-10 remains unchanged from the sedan, producing 383 pounds-feet of torque. Drivers can shift through the gears using steering-wheel paddles or a center-console gear selector.
At each startup, the V-10 is limited to 400 hp until the driver presses a button to unleash the extra 107 hp.
Safety
BMW's Dynamic Stability Control can be fully or partially activated, or completely turned off, for different levels of vehicle control and performance. If the driver feels compelled to let the rear end hang out around a corner, the partially deactivated DSC will let that happen to a point, then step in and make the necessary corrections to keep the car pointed straight.
Driver and passenger front and side-impact airbags are standard; rear side-impact airbags are optional. |
— Reported by
Joe Bruzek, Cars.com;
images courtesy of the manufacturer |
