Iceman

In my never-ending quest to stay on top of automotive developments (okay, that's laying it on a little thick, but I do like to stay aware of products that might interest me at some point in the future), I was on the BMW website today to price out an X5 4.8is. Being a former M-car owner I clicked on the M-car section and was shocked to find the only two cars listed are the M3 coupe and convertible. I then also noticed that the Z8 is not listed anymore either.

Can someone confirm or deny that for 2004 BMW is not producing the M5 or Z8?

-J-P-L-

The M5 is skipping a year because of the 5 series redesign for 2004.
The M5 will return for 2005 with a 500 HP V10. The sickest ever!

brian3268

Abcedefghij

Richie

Production of both the Z8 and M5 stopped last year.
Around the fall If I remember correctly.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

man are you sure you are a bimmer fan? you don't even know the m5 is not in production this yr coz' the new 5 just debut, and the m power is one yr later?

Iceman

Nope, I'm definitely not a Bimmer fan. Go back and look at any of my old posts about my M--I vowed not to buy another BMW for a long, long time. Still, since I'm considering an LX for my next car I figure I owe it to myself to be aware of competing products.

This raises another question in my mind, though--how is it that MB is able to introduce AMG cars at the same time new models are introduced, but it takes BMW an extra year?

mooretorque

I would suspect that Bayerische has some convoluted marketing strategy to support the decision, not that the M production has to be delayed. Traditionally, BMW has always waited a year or so with new models before releasing M versions.............

OTOH, I can't understand MB strategy with so many overlapping models (at last count, 7 with over 500 hp!!!) between C, E, and S classes plus AMG versions of most. Good if you want a Merc, I guess, but seems very costly from a manufacturing standpoint.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

it's not that they can't or incapable of, it's just how they do things. they always introduce the m power version a yr or two after the normal version

doug_999

Read today that the M5 will be a 2006.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

S62's ran out, kill of the Z8 and the M5. Same thing with the 4.6is, to be replaced.

Bimmers rock!

Okay who am I kidding? Get an E55.