2014 BMW M5 And M6 Get Competition Packages, 535d Debuts

Just a year (or two) removed from their debuts, the BMW M5 and M6 Coupe, Convertible, and Gran Coupe are getting a Competition Pack designed to liven the already potent German vehicles up.

 

Nothing in the packages is particularly surprising, with incremental improvements to a variety of systems (which is usually the modus operandi for BMW’s Competition Packages). There’s a subtle bump in power, going from 560 horsepower to 575 ponies, although there’s no bump in overall torque, which remains at 500 pound-feet. A sports exhaust system will give the Competition cars a greater bark to go along with their mildly improved bite. The suspension has been firmed up, with stiffer dampers and sway bars, and a 10-millimeter reduction in the ride height. Competition Pack cars also sit on special, 20-inch M wheels.

 

The Active M Differential has also been tweaked, getting a special control unit that allows it to make the most of the suspension tweaks. Other mechanical adjustments include a more direct hydraulic steering rack when Servotronic is activated. Finally, the M Dynamic mode in the Dynamic Stability Control has been adjusted, allowing drivers a bit more freedom before the nannies interfere.

 

All told, the upgrades of the competition pack lower the time it takes to get to 62 miles per hour by 0.1 seconds, allowing the M5 and M6 Convertible to get to 62 in 4.1 seconds and the M6 Coupe and Gran Coupe to get there in four seconds.

 

In other news, we’re finally getting a 5-Series diesel. Called the 535d, it will pack the brand’s oil-burning, 3.0-liter, inline-six. The 535d produces just 255 horsepower, but makes up for that with an ample 413 pound-feet of torque. All that twist is available between 1500 and 3000 rpm. The sole transmission choice is BMW’s excellent eight-speed automatic.

 

Prices for the 535d start at $57,525, while pricing on the Competition Packages has not been released yet.