Late last year we brought you news on an F10 model BMW M5 that had been delivered to German tuners G-Power to have some fun with. Well the Germans certainly had that, as the finished product, curiously labelled the G-Power Bi-Tronik III, is finished and pushes the M envelope that little bit further.

Output from the turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine has jumped from 560hp and 680Nm to 640hp and 777Nm. Surprisingly for a company famous for using superchargers to maximise performance the engine remains virtually untouched. The majority of the gains come from a bespoke engine map that boosts power but not so much that the torque makes the G-Power M5 not driveable. The tuners also attended to the main complaint about the M5, that of the piped-in exhaust note, by fitting a stainless steel system that features G-Power 'Deeptone' technology. Finished with four 100mm tailpipes G-Power says the system delivers a deep throaty sound that turns heads but is at no time annoying.

The performance upgrades see the Bi-Tronik III hit 62mph in just 3.9 seconds and, if you are brave enough to keep your foot mashed to the carpet, a top speed of 196mph. To cope with the increased speed the car is fitted with a ceramic braking system comprising six-pot calipers and 396mm discs. The brakes reside behind 21-inch wheels with customers free to choose between G-Power's Silverstone RS or Clubsport designs. The car also comes equipped with adjustable coil-over suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.

The Bi-Tronik III is just the first step in the tuning phase for G-Power with plans for a follow up to the M5 Hurricane (the world's fastest and most powerful BMW) already firmly in place.

Paul Healy - 1 Mar 2012