At this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China, BMW rolled out two concept versions of the current F10 5-Series, the M5 sport sedan and the LWB Plug-in Hybrid, both of which will enter production.
The M5 study was developed by the Bavarian automaker’s M division and it previews the upcoming production version that will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Munich’s much anticipated super saloon comes with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine sourced from the X5 M and X6 M models, in which it makes 555HP and 680Nm or 501 lb-ft of peak torque. BMW has said that in the M5, output is likely to increase.
BMW’s second conceptual version of the 5-Series is also slated for production, but unlike the M5, it will be offered exclusively in China. The 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid is based on the Chinese market version of the premium sedan with the extended wheelbase and is the product of BMW’s collaboration with its joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. It features a parallel hybrid setup consisting of 215HP / 160 kW turbocharged combustion engine and an electrical motor with a maximum output of 94HP / 70 kW. Series production of the 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid is scheduled to start in China in 2013.
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