Saar: Compared to standard M5, the M5 Competition sheds some weight and gains more power.

In less than a week after the details of the BMW M5 Competition were leaked online, the company has officially unveiled it. In essence, the M5 Competition is a faster, lighter and tauter version of the standard M5. What is surprising that BMW has released it in less than a year after the BMW M5 was officially unveiled in August last year.

Let’s get to the business of performance. Under the bonnet of the BMW M5 Competition is the same 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 that powers the standard M5. For the M5 Competition, BMW has recalibrated the engine to produce 25PS more power but the same amount of torque. The resulting figures stand at 625PS/750Nm. Compared to its direct competition, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, that’s 13PS more but a whopping 100Nm less.

With the 8-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission and M xDrive all-wheel-drive system underneath, the BMW M5 Competition can complete the 0-100kmph and 0-200kmph sprints in 3.3 seconds and 10.8 seconds respectively. That’s 0.1 seconds and 0.3 seconds faster than the standard M5. The electronically limited top speed, however, remains identical at 250kmph. Even if the optional M Driver’s Package is opted for, the unrestricted top-speed for the M5 cousins remains same – 305kmph.

On to some more drier stuff. Compared to the standard M5, the BMW M5 Competition sits 7mm lower, comes with special damper hydraulics and stiffer suspension springs. Additionally, an increased camber at the front axle and modified toe links and anti-roll bars at the rear help in pushing the car to its cornering limit. New 20-inch forged M light-alloy wheels come as standard with 10mm fatter rubber at the rear wheels (275/35 R 20 at the front and 285/35 R 20 at the rear). The M5 Competition also weighs 65kg less than the M5, which means the new boy has a better power-to-weight ratio.

In terms of design, the BMW M5 Competition gets a heavy dosage of high-gloss black paint on a number of external panels. The list includes the kidney grille surround, external mirror caps, rear spoiler and the BMW M gills on the side. A “Competition” badge is also slapped on to the boot lid, accompanying a black M5 badge.

Inside the cabin of the BMW M5 Competition, an “M Competition” graphic pops up in the instrument cluster when starting, the black seat belts have got their own lunacy with stripe design in BMW M colours and model-specific floor mats further reinstates that it isn’t the standard M5. The combination of full leather Merino Aragon upholstery and dark chrome interior trim further helps accentuate the sporty character.

Will it come to India? We have our reservations. But BMW shouldn’t mind offering it here as, like the M5, the M5 Competition will be a direct import. If BMW India decides to bring M5 Competition to our shores, it will be priced way more than the standard M5 (Rs 1.44 crore ex-showroom) and its arch rival in India, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC (Rs 1.5 crore ex-showroom).