No 56k: E60 M5 'Track Racer' with 600 lbs off

Blayde

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From SportsCarForums.com

We?d totally understand it if someone took a mid 90?s BMW M3 E36 with half a million miles and turned it into a nice weekend track racer, but completely gutting out a 2006 BMW M5 E90 -yes, the latest model with the 507Hp V10 powerhouse- is something that doesn?t quite sound right. The owner of the car says that he was able to remove a total of 600 lbs or about 272kg from the BMW M5?s body ? mainly from the interior which now features a roll cage and a set of light weight bucket seats.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_0.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_1.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_2.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_3.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_4.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_5.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_6.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_7.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_8.JPG

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_9.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_10.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_11.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_12.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_13.jpg

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/bl/blayde/2008/07/02/BMW_M5_e90_14.jpg


All i want to know is, why? There are much cheaper ways to get the same results, and the M5 is MADE with perfect weight distribution, this just messes it all up, makes the whole exercise futile.
 
I doubt the weight distribution was effected. The interior is in the middle of the car and a roll cage was added, mostly to the rear. I'd be more worried about the computers/suspension being designed for a heavy sedan and now having 600 lbs less to carry around.

Did they say anything about performance? How well it handled before/after?
 
Finally, a good use of an M5.

And they kept the Madeira Walnut wood trim! Luxury! :p
 
That's what i kind of meant (about the computers being confused), i forgot to say that.

The guy who did it is on m5board, and all he's posted is timings on a track called 'Sebring Sienna' in seconds, no other stats
 
"All i want to know is, why? There are much cheaper ways to get the same results, and the M5 is MADE with perfect weight distribution, this just messes it all up, makes the whole exercise futile."

How would you get the same results while keeping the outside body the same? maybe he doesnt want to race in a lego looking car like an atom/caterham/etc. Looks badass and is really fast, thats why.
 
What a waste of an M5. BMWs are designed to be performance/luxury saloon cars. If you want a stripped out track car then why don't you start with something more appropriate? This is totally defeating the purpose of all the engineering that goes into an M5.
 
"All i want to know is, why? There are much cheaper ways to get the same results, and the M5 is MADE with perfect weight distribution, this just messes it all up, makes the whole exercise futile."

How would you get the same results while keeping the outside body the same? maybe he doesnt want to race in a lego looking car like an atom/caterham/etc. Looks badass and is really fast, thats why.

For 60K pounds you can get better than a caterham/atom ;)
 
The article has one fault though the M5 is the E60 for this gen, they used the M3s E90 which is incorrect. That being said, why would you do this, its so stupid and pointless to such a car, I mean yeah its 600 lbs but it was a hell of a gt car before and now, well its not.
 
The article has one fault though the M5 is the E60 for this gen, they used the M3s E90 which is incorrect. That being said, why would you do this, its so stupid and pointless to such a car, I mean yeah its 600 lbs but it was a hell of a gt car before and now, well its not.

I don't see many people complaining about the M3 CSL, which is essentially a stripped out E46 M3. The wood trim on that dashboard looks as if it came from a Chrysler...
 
I don't see many people complaining about the M3 CSL, which is essentially a stripped out E46 M3. The wood trim on that dashboard looks as if it came from a Chrysler...

Difference is one was made from the factory to be a track car and the other one was randomly gutted. Besides there is also a difference between the M3 and the M5. The M3 was always made to be more of a sports car with some luxury in it. The M5 was always more of a luxury car with some sports car in it. Like someone said it was a GT, M3 was always more sporty.

Also I have to say that he went through quite a bit of trouble and removed remarkably little weight. Considering the car's chasis and power I seriously doubt it got noticeably faster after a 600lb reduction in weight. Not even my (much wimpier) car shows much difference between me being alone in the car and me being with 3 more people and some bags in the car. It also mentions nothing about him doing any work on the driveline components, which would be the first place I would look to save some weight on. Rotating mass and unsprung weight reductions do so much more for performance than removing seats.
 
They should race that at N24 in '09! I'm sure it would do well
 
I like it!

It's not like the guy riced it out or something similar, and I wouldn't be too worried about the computer either. Traction control systems are actually rather simple, they detect slip and adjust accordingly, no reason why it wouldn't work even better now the car has 600lbs less weight.
 
I think he drastically improved the way the interior looks. Stripping out cars that make purists cry FTW :p
 
Difference is one was made from the factory to be a track car and the other one was randomly gutted. Besides there is also a difference between the M3 and the M5. The M3 was always made to be more of a sports car with some luxury in it. The M5 was always more of a luxury car with some sports car in it. Like someone said it was a GT, M3 was always more sporty.

Also I have to say that he went through quite a bit of trouble and removed remarkably little weight. Considering the car's chasis and power I seriously doubt it got noticeably faster after a 600lb reduction in weight. Not even my (much wimpier) car shows much difference between me being alone in the car and me being with 3 more people and some bags in the car. It also mentions nothing about him doing any work on the driveline components, which would be the first place I would look to save some weight on. Rotating mass and unsprung weight reductions do so much more for performance than removing seats.
So only the factory should do it and not some guy who actually knows what he's doing? And doesn't need to spend an additional 7k to prove that he doesn't?

Granted, it's still pretty heavy, he should hopefully move into the realm of carbon fiber/Kevlar panels and even lightened glass for the rest. Any word on whether he removed the iDrive? ;)

Nice to see that people follow my example ... *cough* :happy:
You should draw from this as inspiration! Who needs friends to clog up backseats anyway?
 
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