New BMW M5 Is One Of The Fastest Sedans To Ever Lap The Nurburgring

Let’s see what happens when the new BMW M5 Competition is unleashed onto the Green Hell.

Nurburgring lap times are a hot topic right now, as automakers continue to chase production car lap records. BMW hasn’t set an official Nurburgring lap time in the new M5 yet, but Germany’s Sport Auto magazine has already beaten the German automaker to it. In the hands of Christian Gebhardt, the super sedan ripped around the Ring in seven minutes and 38.92, making it one of the fastest four-doors to ever lap the famous German circuit.

That also makes it only slightly slower than the Porsche Panamera Turbo, which completed the circuit in seven minutes and 38 seconds, though that time was set by a factory driver. Compared to the last-generation M5, it’s almost 16 seconds faster. In the hands of a professional racing driver, it’s probably safe to say the new M5 could set an even faster time.

Having said that, Gebhardt has thrashed a variety of cars at the Nurburgring over the years, so he isn't exactly inexperienced. Back in 2016, he set an impressive time of eight minutes and six seconds in a Ford Focus RS and seven minutes and 10.92 seconds in a Mercedes-AMG GT R the same year. The F90 BMW M5 is the most powerful M5 in history, producing 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. 0-62 mph takes just 3.4 seconds, while 0-124 mph is clocked in just 11.1 seconds. It may also be more powerful than BMW claims if the M5’s recent trip to the dyno is anything to go by. It’s not surprising, then, that the new M5 is one of the fastest sedans to ever lap the Nurburgring.

Recently, BMW has also revealed the more powerful M5 Competition with 25 extra horses under the hood. It also has lower suspension, model-specific chassis tuning, adjustments to springs and dampers, and new mountings for the rear anti-roll bar. These tweaks make the M5 stiffer and more track-focused, and could shave off a few more seconds off the standard car’s lap time. Whether BMW will unleash the M5 Competition onto the Nurburgring remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Sport Auto’s Christian Gebhardt gets his hands on one to see how it compares.