Wiesmann GT MF5 Official Safety Car for 2009 FIA GT Championship

The BMW V10-powered Wiesmann GT MF5 sports coupe will be setting the pace for the racecars participating at the 2009 FIA GT Championship season that kicks off this weekend on May 3 in Silverstone Circuit in Britain. The limited production German sports coupe boasts a 507HP 5.0-liter V10 engine from the BMW M5/M6, coupled to a seven-speed sequential automatic transmission and a variable differential lock. The rear-wheel drive GT MF5 can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 310km/h or 193mph.

VIDEO: 2011 BMW M5 Gone in 12 Seconds

This 12-second long video hypothetically shows a prototype version of the next-generation BMW M5 sedan that's expected about a year after the introduction of the new 5-Series Sedan and Touring models in 2010. There's no way of being 100 percent sure if it's an M5 or not, but it certainly sounds the part. The new M5 will be powered by the same 555HP 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine found in the X5M and X6M sporty crossovers.

Via: Luxevelocity

Carbon or Kevlar Boot Lid for BMW 5-Series and M5 Sedans from Lumma Design

The maker of the outrageous CLR500 RS BMW M5 is now offering owners of the current generation BMW 5-Series and M5 models the chance to outfit their sedans with two 'uber' lightweight boot lids with an integrated spoiler made from either carbon or kevlar. Priced at €4,700, the full carbon bootlid weighs in at 8kg or 17.3 lbs and its exterior is made out of carbon while the interior surface from a mix of carbon and kevlar. According to Lumma Design, carbon is four times more solid than aluminum and 80% lighter than steel.

Buyers with a more limited budget can opt for the kevlar bootlid that weighs 14kg or 30.9 lbs and costs €2,618. In both cases the bootlids are designed to be mounted on the original attachment points.

2010 BMW 5-Series Sedan, Touring and Gran Turismo Spied together in France

One of Carscoop's readers stumbled upon a whole convoy of 2010 BMW 5-Series prototypes this morning as he was heading for his morning chores in the centre of St Remy de Provence in the south of France. Martin O'Connor was quick to snap these photos depicting the whole 2010 BMW 5-Series 'familia' that consisted of the four-door sedan, the station-wagon Touring and of course, the 5-door liftback-thingamajig that the Bavarian's call Gran Turismo.

It is expected that BMW will perform the world debut of the production 5-Series Gran Turismo (see the concept here) at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September with the sedan and touring variants following suite in a major car show in 2010. Sales of all three body-styles will begin next year.

Powertrain options for the new 5-Series range will consist of naturally aspirated and turbocharged gasoline engines including the revamped 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six with 326HP and the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 408HP, plus the usual turbo diesels.

At the top of the range buyers will find the M5 sedan and Touring models powered by a new twin-turbocharged V8 engine delivering well over 500HP that will make its first appearance on the X5 M and X6 M replacing the current M5/M6's 507HP V10.

Photo Credits and our Thanks go to Martin O'Connor