No smoke no poke- Diesel M-cars on the way

ongarite

Looks like the rumours are true and BMW are expanding their M-series line with the M550d to be announced this March in Geneva.

The first car in the line-up is expected to be the M550d xDrive, followed by an X6 M50d SUV. Both cars will feature four-wheel drive and BMW's new 381hp, 546lb ft tri-turbo diesel motor. In the 5-series, that engine will also deliver a combined fuel consumption figure of 44.8mpg

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=25018

voojeq

nice, I wonder how will they compare to honda's d-tec

spank_inferno

considering the shape of that example vehicle and its weight & engine, the combined MPG stat sounds fantasy.

EPM

voojeq wrote: »

nice, I wonder how will they compare to honda's d-tec

With two and a half times the power I'd imagine quite well.

Leonard Hofstadter

Figures sound phenominal for a 3.0 diesel, I just hope they'll have the reliability to match, three turbos (one of them electric) is a lot to go wrong!

MidlandsM

spank_inferno wrote: »

considering the shape of that example vehicle and its weight & engine, the combined MPG stat sounds fantasy.

god no, it'll do 44mpg..........(downhill);):p

Marcusm

captainspeed wrote: »

Figures sound phenominal for a 3.0 diesel, I just hope they'll have the reliability to match, three turbos (one of them electric) is a lot to go wrong!

I know that there's much less correlation these days between the badge and engine displacement but how can a 3L be in a 550? I understand the 3 turbos etc but surely it's then time for them to replace the numbers with power output or something else.

TheBazman

I'm still a bit disappointed (relatively speaking) that they havent broken the 400bhp mark (pre - remap anyway). I guess it's all about the torque baby!

Leonard Hofstadter

Does anyone think that this car should not be called M550d and just 550d instead?

I know it's not a proper M car, but still it will have an automatic gearbox, four wheel drive and a diesel engine, hardly the things an M car is supposed to have. Yes it has the power to have an "M" badge but surely M is supposed to be about more than raw bhp?

It should be manual (or double clutch - that is an electronically controlled auto), petrol (ideally naturally aspirated) and rear wheel drive.

M really does stand for marketing these days, doesn't it?

aristotle25

MidlandsM wrote: »

god no, it'll do 44mpg..........(downhill);):p

You can get 40-45mpg out of a 535 by cruising on a motorway so I expect with the improvements in technology that gettings 44mpg from a new version of the 3.0 engine would be possible.

But with some acceleration you can expect mpg to drop well down.

EPM

captainspeed wrote: »

M really does stand for marketing these days, doesn't it?

Well they're hardly making cars to keep a very small number of drivers happy. It's a business, simple as. And to be a sucessful one they need to do things like this.

conzy

Id say fuel consumption when pushing it hard wouldnt be that much better than the current M5

The 535d is a very powerful car that makes more sense as a daily driver than an M5. But I dont see the target audience for the Diesel M5? M cars are effectively track cars and anyone that can afford one isnt worried about the difference in running costs.

I cant imagine many people that would prefer to drive this over a petrol M5, then again the new M5 is turbocharged too and not a high revving na engine.

EPM

I'd say some of this is coming off the back of emissions regs. You can be sure this will come in at band D or E.

heate

EPM wrote: »

I'd say some of this is coming off the back of emissions regs. You can be sure this will come in at band D or E.

The 535d throws out 300bhp and emits 149g/km so add 5-10 to that

I like the idea of the 550MXD but I'm not doing the mileage anymore and don't want a diesel when I can have a petrol.
The one thing this range has going for it is the crusing range and the fact it's a bit different to the normal 5er. But I'd have a 550i with 400bhp instead.
I currently drive a V8 BM diesel and the power is useable.
This isn't a car for Ireland it's further Germans really. Drive a few 100 km's on the autobahn at high speed crusing over 180+ and the car would be in its element.

Tea 1000

captainspeed wrote: »

Does anyone think that this car should not be called M550d and just 550d instead?

I know it's not a proper M car, but still it will have an automatic gearbox, four wheel drive and a diesel engine, hardly the things an M car is supposed to have. Yes it has the power to have an "M" badge but surely M is supposed to be about more than raw bhp?

It should be manual (or double clutch - that is an electronically controlled auto), petrol (ideally naturally aspirated) and rear wheel drive.

M really does stand for marketing these days, doesn't it?

I think what you're saying is kind of what the BMW M-Division are struggling to get people to stop thinking. You're right in that a proper M-car should not have a diesel or possibly even 4WD, but that's the point they're making too.
They make the M3, M5, M6 as proper fully-fledged M cars. The likes of this 550dM or M-550d or whatever they'll badge it will be the same as Audi's S-cars. Audi have their S4 and S6 and S8 for basically a powerful engine with a few extras over their regular cars, but the RS4 and RS6 is a completely reworked car like the M3 and M5.
The problem is people always accepted that with Audi, where as people are hardwired to think that an M-car should be only hard core and a 550M or whatever is only cheapening the brand!

heate

One of BM's issues is that the M brand is just so associated with absolute monsters (in a good way) that people view them as cars that are so vastly different to Audi S cars and will have trouble introducing M lite products to consumers.
To compete with Audi's S cars they have the 550i the 335i (iS in the states at 340bhp).
Audi are releasing a 320bhp A6 - is this a diesel horsepower race? Mercedes are nowhere to be seen since the E420cdi was dropped.

Eric Cartman

ohh god no, i even feel bad when the m-sport trim is on a diesel beamer , something about the M badge and diesel is wrong

TheBazman

conzymaher wrote: »

The 535d is a very powerful car that makes more sense as a daily driver than an M5. But I dont see the target audience for the Diesel M5?

As a 535d driver and ex M5 driver I would be in the target audience for a diesel M5 (if I could afford it). The 535d is plenty powerful but you know you always want more. Obviously I would prefer the new M5 but a 500 mile a week commute would rule that out

ongarite

More info on the M550d.
0-60 in 4.7 seconds and €480 annual road tax based on official Co2 figures.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/277819/bmw_m_diesels.html

TheBazman

Want.

Matt Simis

All four of the super diesels together:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD8F3rmACvo

All with 8speed and Xdrive ( maybe not in RHD, thx Captainspeed!)

All the vehicles will hit the European market this April, following their debut in Geneva. Here is the starting price for the new M Performance models:

BMW M550d xDrive: 80 800 EUR
BMW M550d xDrive Touring: 83 750 EUR
BMW X5 M50d: 82 300 EUR
BMW X6 M50d: 85 800 EUR

EDIT2: Now confirmed no M550d anything (RWD or 4WD) for RHD at all!
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=25083

Leonard Hofstadter

I see that right hand drive M550ds will be rear wheel drive. So theoretically it could be in VRT band C, the same as a 535d.

Surely it a model is meant to be a halfway house between the 550i and the M5 then it should have more power?

This has 376 bhp, which is less than the 407 bhp that the non-M badged 550i petrol has, and the 550i will be going up to 450 bhp soon, as BMW have revised their V8.

I'm sure this engine will go like the clappers, but isn't nearly 130 bhp per litre going to put an awful lot of strain on the internals of that engine? It'll be a bloody great car if you can get a nice warranty on it though!

Fizman

I think by doing this is a mistake on their part. They're damaging a well established brand imo and will gradually take away the prestige of m-anything.

Leonard Hofstadter

Looks like we won't have to worry now, Car Magazine are reporting that the new engine will not be available in the 5 series after all for RHD markets.

Apparently BMW UK doesn't think there would be enough demand for this engine in the 5 series (even with RWD), though strangely they do think there is demand for this engine in the slower selling X5 and X6, as the M50d engine will be available in RHD versions of the X5 and X6:rolleyes:.

I think we all know the real reason this is not happening - the 4WD 5 series is not available in RHD markets (though when the new X5 and X6 come out they will be basically jacked up 4WD 5 series in RHD).