BMW’s new M5 Competition set at $244,900

BMW Group Australia has announced that its facelifted M5 Competition super-sedan will arrive in October priced from $244,900 plus on-road costs, up $10,000 on its predecessor but with mechanical and specification upgrades to offset the increase. 

Continuing in Australia in full-fat Competition guise only, the new M5 has received chassis modifications that include dampers borrowed from flagship M8 Competition Gran Coupe and a series of other “well-conceived tweaks to the suspension and springs” that see it riding 7mm lower than the standard M5 not offered here.

According to BMW, the new dampers not only enhance the M5’s dynamic capabilities, but the ride comfort as well, while stiffer engine mounts under the bonnet are designed to help improve turn-in.

There are no changes to the powertrain, the M5 Competition sticking with a 460kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

That means 0-100km/h is still dispatched in a supercar-scaring 3.3 seconds, 200km/h is reached in 10.8 seconds and top speed remains at 305km/h.

Those with a keen eye for detail will notice the updated model features a raft of subtle styling changes, chief among which are new headlights and taller twin kidney grille design.

Other changes include a larger front air intake, bolder contouring and a revamped tail-light arrangement.

As before, the Competition moniker adds extra visual flare by way of black paintwork on the intake and gill mesh, grille surround, wing mirror caps, bootlid spoiler and rear apron inserts, specific black badging and black chrome exhaust tips.

It also has 20-inch M light-alloy bicolour wheels in a Y-spoke design and mixed-size tyres measuring 275/35R20 up front and 285/35R20 at the rear.

Changes inside the cabin primarily extend to a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen (up from 10.25”) and two new buttons added to the centre console – M1 and M2.

Continuing the M8 Competition theme, the new buttons allow drivers to flick between Road and Sport driving modes and provide a shortcut to the configuration menu within the infotainment system to tailor the car’s set-up to their liking.

The other big talking point on the 2021-spec cars is the addition of a new Track drive mode which turns off all non-essential systems and deactivates most of the safety features to ensure maximum concentration from the driver.

In terms of standard equipment, the M5 Competition’s list is as long as ever with a string of exclusive features reserved only for the top model.

Inside, occupants will be greeted by Merino leather M seat upholstery, four-zone climate control, Alcantara anthracite BMW Individual headlining, leather-clad instrument panel, roller sunblinds, M seatbelts and soft-close doors.

In terms of technology, BMW Operating System 7.0 powers the infotainment system while audio is played through a 16-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround-sound system.

Other features include BMW Live Cockpit Professional, BMW Connected Package Professional, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, M head-up display, BMW Drive Recorder, tyre pressure monitoring, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Plus and BMW Laser Light.

BMW managed to shift 382 examples of the 5 Series through the first half of this year, down 38.5 per cent on the 621 sales it managed over the same period last year.

2020 BMW 5 Series pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs