BMW Celebrates M5 Anniversary with More Power

30th Anniversary Edition BMW M5 (Credit: © BMW)

It might be hard to believe, but 30 years ago BMW blew the world away with the debut of the M5 performance sedan. The German automaker knows how to celebrate such an anniversary properly. Instead of creating a giant cake or sending out sappy cards to customers, it is producing a 30th Anniversary Edition M5 that packs a huge punch in the form of 600 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque.

BMW squeezed the extra power of out of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine by turning up the boost. As a result, the M5 outguns rival cars like the Audi RS6 Avant, Jaguar XFR-S, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. On top of that, it will also be the most powerful version of the M5 so far, as well as the most powerful production BMW ever. All that power is put to good use, decreasing the car’s 0 to 60 time from 4.2 seconds to 3.7 seconds.

To help drivers not make mincemeat of the rear tires too quickly, BMW includes the Competition Package as standard equipment, plus added a dedicated control module for the Active M Differential. Other exclusive features include a Frozen Dark Silver matte finish that sounds more mysterious than it looks, Alcantara upholstery, and plenty of special badges so everyone knows how cool you are for owning a non-regular M5.

Before you start digging out your wallet, you should know that the 30th Anniversary Edition BMW M5 will be available in very limited numbers. In the United States, only 30 of the special edition cars will be imported, and BMW North America plans to hold onto one. To even have the privilege of paying too much for the car, customers will have to dial a to-be-disclosed phone number on May 21. BMW is even disclosing the phone number in increments using its social media outlets in the days leading up to May 21, adding to the cloak and dagger nature of the buying process.