BMW M5 put through its paces at Lusail track

Alfardan Automobiles held the second edition of the BMW ‘M meets X’ driving experience yesterday, where guests were also given the chance to drive the newly launched BMW M5 at the Lusail International Circuit.Attendees were invited to put the car through its paces on the track, and they were given the opportunity to drive the range of new vehicles from the M brand, including the M3 Coupe, X5M and X6M. A number of experts from BMW were on hand to help the drivers understand the new technology in the range and explain how best to use the vehicles in situations relevant to local motorists, such as off road driving on sand.General manager of Alfardan Automobiles, Mohamed Kandeel said: “The BMW brand is all about a premium driving experience and drive events like ‘M meets X’ allow our customers to experience the exclusive quality built into every BMW with regards to performance, comfort, safety and design.”“Furthermore, it showcases the full capabilities of the powerful M series vehicles and the versatility of the ‘X’ range, whether on track or off-road,” he added.Kandeel stated: “The popularity and excitement of our BMW M models still continues to grow, however, driving a car boasting the M logo remains an exclusive experience.  The design, comfort, technology and engineering of the new BMW M5, which is revealed for the first time in Qatar, are very different from the predecessor model.”The new model features a 4.4l V8 engine with an M twin power turbo package, producing 560 hp from 6000 rpm and up to 680 Nm of torque from 1500rpm. The new BMW M5 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, and it can also reach a top speed of 305km/h. “The new BMW M5 has outstandingly agile handling thanks to its innovative rear axle differential with Active M Differential lock, which enables a fully variable distribution of power between the rear wheels,” said a spokesperson, adding “individually configured set-ups for the car can be chosen by the driver - changes can be made to the accelerator response, gearbox response, DSC modes, dynamic damper control and information in the head-up display.”Officials also discussed BMW’s commitment to safety through hosting driver training sessions around the world, as well as the introduction of lane change warning, lane departure warning, night vision and park assist systems to its models.