Motoring: BMW marks 30 years of M5, and more

TO celebrate 30 years of the BMW M5, the German manufacturer has produced a special edition of the definitive high-performance executive saloon.

The M5 is the car which founded the super-saloon segment and it remains the benchmark by which all others must judge themselves.

Even by its own high standards, the new special edition is something very special; one which the company itself says stands apart from its stablemates.

The BMW M5 30 Jahre Edition will be produced in a limited run of just 300 vehicles worldwide. Only 30 are destined to come to the UK.

Developing 600hp and peak torque of 700Nm, the car is not just the most powerful BMW M5 ever to emerge from the M Division, it is also the most powerful production car in the history of the brand.

It will not only accelerate from zero to 62mph in a lightning fast 3.9 seconds, but driven sensibly, BMW claims it will deliver combined fuel consumption of 28.5mpg and produce CO2 emissions of 231g/km.

Under the bonnet of the beast is a 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and an output of 600hp, 40hp more than the standard model. This power boost has been achieved through carefully calculated tweaks to the engine management and an increase in charge pressure.

The car can also be ordered with a Competition package which will appreciably enrich the handling characteristics. This includes modifications to the chassis set-up with firmer spring/damper tuning and a 10mm drop in ride height. Added to which, the Active M Differential on the final drive gains its own control unit to further improve traction.

Elsewhere, the steering with M-specific Servotronic function has more direct mapping and the M Dynamic Mode of the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system is focused even more keenly on delivering sporty handling.

In keeping with the anniversary celebrations, the special-edition gets a few other tweaks. There is the striking BMW Individual Frozen Dark Silver metallic paintwork and the special ‘30 Jahre M5’ badging plus 20-inch bi-colour M light-alloy wheels.

The interior of the car includes exclusive touches to highlight the anniversary. The driver and front passenger will be greeted by ‘30 Jahre M5’ lettering on the front door sill finishers, while a plaque bearing ‘30 Jahre M5’ and ‘1/300’ inscription is integrated into the Dark Aluminium Trace interior trim. The ‘30 Jahre M5’ logo is also embroidered into the backrests of all four of the saloon’s seats.

Both the driver and front passenger in the M5 30 Jahre Editon can settle into M Sport multifunction seats upholstered in individual Black Alcantara and full Merino leather. A harman/kardon surround-sound system with a total of 16 speakers is also included as standard and a 1,200-watt Bang & Olufsen Advanced audio system is available as an option.

The M5 30 Jahre Edition represents a fitting tribute to the marque that began at BMW Motorsport in Munich in 1984, and continues to raise the pulses of car fans around the world today. It is on sale now and costs £91,890 OTR.

The power of three for Trident

CONTINUING the theme of speed and efficiency, Trident, the British sports car brand, has announced the global availability of its flagship Iceni car, the world’s fastest and most fuel efficient diesel sports car.

With a top speed in excess of over 190mph and the ability to run for 2,000 miles on a single tank of mineral or bio-diesel, the Iceni uses torque multiplication technology to achieve this unique combination of speed, power and fuel efficiency.

The two new models to the Iceni range are the Iceni Magna (fastback) and Iceni Venturer (estate). All three models boast their own distinctive design.

Phil Bevan, designer and founder of Trident said: “The Trident cars deliver incredible speed and performance combined with outstanding fuel efficiency, achieved through our unique torque multiplication technology.”

Using torque technology successfully in a road car can increase fuel efficiency by up to 20%. Trident has patented a unique way of utilising torque multiplication to improve performance and efficiency, which has been incorporated into all their sports cars.

The cars also incorporate almost 40 bespoke, designed and manufactured components, including independent control of each car seat and oculight roof.  In addition, every Iceni can be built to specific customer specification, ensuring a truly unique driving experience.

Daniel Monaghan, co-founder of Trident said: “We have worked extremely hard to reach this point and the whole Trident team is thrilled to be bringing the world’s most fuel-efficient diesel sports cars to market.”

The three Iceni sports cars are available to buy globally with prices starting from £96,000. With limited availability and a pre-launch waiting list, the three models are already said to be in high demand across the globe.

Jaguar owners purr their pleasure

JAGUAR has been ranked the best premium car brand in an influential new customer satisfaction league table.

The firm has topped the 2014 Driver Power table after more drivers expressed their approval of the company’s range of cars.

The 2014 edition of the Auto Express-supported customer satisfaction survey saw the British luxury and sports car marque’s score increase by 3% year-on-year to 89.34%.

For the third year running, Jaguar cars were praised for offering the best ride quality and ease of driving of cars from any brand. On top of this, an impressive three Jaguar products finished in the top five performance cars – with the outgoing XK topping the chart and receiving a Driver Power Award for Best Performance. Jaguar cars were also rated second-best for in-car technology.

Auto Express Editor-in-Chief Steve Fowler said: “Jaguar has moved up the Driver Power rankings in 2014 and as a result becomes the highest-ranked premium brand in the survey. Much of that is down to the way a Jaguar car drives – owners love their cars’ performance, ride and handling. If Jaguar continues to show improvements at this rate, it could top our survey next year.”

Success in the 2014 edition of the Driver Power survey follows a similar result in last year’s JD Power survey, where Jaguar was named the best manufacturer. It means Jaguar is now rated as the best premium brand by the two biggest motoring satisfaction surveys in the country.

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, said: “The priority at Jaguar is to put the customer first – it’s at the forefront of our minds with every car we produce. So we’re incredibly proud to be so highly rated by the people who buy our cars.

“With a series of truly exciting products in the pipeline – which will be based on our new advanced aluminium architecture – we’re confident that we can continue to meet and exceed the desires of UK car buyers for many years to come.”