2012 BMW M5 Teased Again

Just the Facts:

• BMW has released new teasers of its fourth-generation M5 sedan, due out later this year, undergoing testing in the Alps.
• The production version of the redesigned M5, known internally as F10M, is slated to be released this fall at the Frankfurt auto show.
• The 2012 M5 will feature a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

MUNICH, Germany — BMW has released new teasers of its fourth-generation M5 sedan, due out later this year, undergoing testing in the Alps.

The production version of the redesigned M5, known internally as F10M, is slated to be released this fall at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. It should arrive in U.S. showrooms not long after that. A concept version may be unveiled next month at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.

The 2012 M5 will feature a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in place of the previous generation's normally aspirated 5.0-liter V10, driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The direct-injection V8 is an uprated version of the engine that powers the X5 M and X6 M, bumped to around 580 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.

The new M5 is expected to gallop from zero to 60 in less than 4.4 seconds, with top speed electronically limited (in some markets) to 155 mph.

One of the latest teaser videos released by BMW shows test drivers Bernd Limmer and Frank Lutz behind the wheel of mildly camouflaged M5 prototypes undergoing winter testing. Limmer and Lutz test the cars' new suspension and steering, including how the M-Dynamic Mode (MDM) raises the threshold of engagement for the dynamic stability control system.

Inside Line says: The latest M5 looks like a screamer even on ice and snow. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent