Most people in the world don’t know that before BMW entered the automotive industry, they actually produced airplane engines during the first World War and beyond. The company, back then known as Rapp Motor, built a legacy around outstanding four-cylinder engines. In addition, they even broke numerous records for speed, as well as building a plane engine that hit 32,000ft. In 1919, and helping an airboat circumnavigate the globe in 1932. Needless to say, BMWs history with building engines is nothing short of ground-breaking.
This rich legacy in engine-manufacturing continues today, with BMW’s M5 engine. We at Edmonton BMW compiled a list of facts for you to better understand what’s inside your BMW vehicles and the kind of power they hold.
Specifications
Before we get into some of the other stuff, we should probably break down the M5’s capabilities. Packed with 600hp, the BMW M5 engine leaps bounds on the road. This V8 gas engine not only provides incredible power, but sustains it as well. This engine pushes boundaries with what can be possible with an engine. It even has a combined fuel consumption of 10.5L/100km to compensate for its incredible performance.
Hot Air Consumption
The amount of hot air that the BMW M5 engine inhales is astounding. The V8 cylinders together inhales over 2,340 m3 of air per hour at peak performance. The amount of air it exhales is equal to the volume amount of 71, 20-ft. sea containers. Needless to say, that’s a lot of air.
Gas Temperatures
The amount of gas that this engine burns makes its cylinders qualified enough to go inside rocket engines—and that’s no exaggeration! The M5 engine burns some serious gas, and the temperatures can reach up to 2,270oC. If you need a grasp at how this compares, this temperature is practically the same amount as when a space capsule re-enters the earth’s atmosphere, which is 2,200oC.
Revolutions per Minute
For the M5 engine to get up to 600 hp, it utilizes two turbochargers to boost it into top speed. At its most powerful, both turbochargers can reach a maximum rotations per minute of 175,000 RPM together.
Valve Accelerations
The valves inside the BMW M3 is capable of breaking records. With a valve acceleration of 0–300 km/h at a distance of 35 cm, its enough to suffice within the diameter of the M leather steering wheel. And at that acceleration, it’s one thousand times greater than the acceleration due to gravity. Could you imagine how fast an apple would fall at that rate? Sir Isaac Newton’s head would practically be crushed!
Powerful Pistons
Speaking of acceleration, the M5’s can exert a force of about eight tonnes. If the piston rod was released and continuously powered this way, you could fly to the moon within seventy seconds. That’s right, the BMW doubles as a rocket ship—except without the shuttle, rockets, zero gravity, and you know, oxygen tanks and stuff. You get the point.
These are just a few fun facts about the powerful M5 engine from BMW. We hope you found this guide as informative as it was insightful. Wanna learn more about it? Come visit our dealership on roper road to check out the BMW M5 for yourself. You can even book a test drive ahead of time if you’ve already been keen on taking it for a spin.