What's the news?

BMW has revealed a 600hp version of the M5 saloon to celebrate the model's 30th anniversary. Called the '30 Jahre M5', just 300 examples will be made.

Exterior

While sheet metal changes are non-existent, the new special edition is instantly identifiable thanks to its Frozen Dark Silver metallic paintwork by BMW Individual. That's offset by moody 'black chrome' detailing on the kidney grille surround, side gills, door handle inserts and quad exhausts. Those side gills also gain a '30 Jahre M5' badge and the bi-colour 20-inch alloy wheels are shared with the Competition Package M5.

Interior

Inside, that '30 Jahre M5' script can be found everywhere, from the door sills on entry to the plaque on the dashboard and even in the backrests of all four seats. Front and rear occupants get electrical adjustment, while the chairs themselves are trimmed in a combination of black leather and Alcantara. The latter is also used on the centre console, door panels and the three-spoke steering wheel. A high-end sound system is standard as well.

Mechanicals

As mentioned at the start, this is not just a cosmetic exercise. BMW has taken the M5 Competition Package as the basis of the '30 Jahre M5' and added more performance to the mix. The twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine has had a re-map and an increase in boost pressure to bring peak power up to 600hp, a full 40hp more than the regular car. Torque has jumped up 20Nm to 700Nm. These increases mean a considerable 0.5 seconds have been dropped from the 0-62mph time - it's now 3.9 seconds. Assisting that may be the addition of a new control unit for the Active M Differential, as it's claimed to help traction.

The ride height is 10mm lower than the regular car's and the springs and dampers are 'firmer' as per the Competition Package. The M Dynamic Mode of the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system has been tweaked too, to allow more slip if we read the release right, while the power steering calibration has also come in for some attention.

Anything else?

BMW Motorsport GmbH began work on the first M5 in 1984, using the 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine from the BMW M1, which also powered the BMW M635 CSi. It produced 286hp in the M5 when it was launched in 1985, powering the saloon to 62mph from rest in 6.5 seconds. BMW made 2,200 examples in two years.

In 1988 the second generation BMW M5 arrived, using a 315hp development of the six-cylinder engine. Top speed was electronically limited to 155mph. It was hugely successful, finding 8,079 homes before an upgrade in 1991. That brought with it a 3.8-litre engine and 340hp. The 0-62mph time dropped from 6.3- to 5.9 seconds. This version spawned the first M5 Touring estate too.

BMW reinvented the M5 in 1998 by using a high-revving 4.9-litre V8 engine instead of the charismatic straight-six. It produced 400hp and the 0-62mph time dropped to 5.3 seconds. An incredible 20,500 examples of this generation of the M5 were sold.

In 2005 the V8 engine was supplanted by a 5.0-litre V10, producing 507hp and reducing the 0-100km/h time once again, this time to 4.7 seconds. This generation of the M5 kicked off an era of highly technical BMW M cars with a huge array of driving options. An M5 Touring arrived in 2007. V10-engined M5s outsold their predecessor, at 20,548 examples.

The current model was launched in 2011 and it's unlikely at this stage to be offered in Touring format.

Shane O' Donoghue - 6 May 2014