BMW M5 Takes on Laguna Seca for US Debut

The sounds, those turbos, those big M wheels and that deep blue paint - we’re completely taken with the 2012 BMW M5, and soon US customers will also be taken with the way it drives as the performance saloon was taken to the track for its US debut.

The footage shot at the famous Laguna Seca trach shows the M-monster take on some of the famous bends, crests and straights in the world, snarling and even cocking one of its wheels at the corkscrew.

The video convinced us that buying an M5 and living in a tent next to the track is an excellent idea. Hearing that twin-turbo 4.4-liter crackle and pop is nothing short of spectacular.

We’ll remind you that the new M5 carries the most powerful series-produced engine ever fitted to a car by M Division. The 4.4-liter V8’s TwinPower Turbo tech (consisting of Twin Scroll Twin Turbo Technology) helps it produce a whopping 560-hp between 6,000 and 7,000 rpm.

The Bavarian carmaker says it has not only increased engine output by about 10% and torque by 30% over the V10 it replaces, but it has also cut fuel consumption by 30% to 23.8mpg US by the usual mix of aerodynamics and small efficiency tweaks for the other components.

The saloon can reach 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, which can be lifted to 190 mph with the aid of the optional M Driver’s package.

We’ll leave you to enjoy the sights and sounds of the new M5!