BMW M5 dropping V10 for turbo V8

The straight six in the first BMW M5 supersedans was silky smooth and plenty powerful, but it was getting a bit long-in-the-tooth, so it had to go. It was replaced by the 400 hp V8 in the E39, then later with the fire-breathing V10 in the current M5 (above) that pushed horsepower into the stratosphere, particularly when you activated the 'M' button. That engine remains powerful, but with CO2 concerns, fuel economy standards and the fact that the V10 isn't available in much of anything else in BMW's lineup, it seems like the next-gen M5 will probably find its motive power supplied by a V8 instead. If a V8 is good enough for the Audi RS6 and Cadillac CTS-V, perhaps it's good enough for the BMW M5, too.

BMW M5 – Click above for high-res image gallery

We saw speculation about a V8 M5 as far back as May, 2008, and more recent speculation that it was going to be a twin-turbo V10 instead, but now Inside Line is reporting that BMW reps have confirmed that a V8 will indeed be in the next M5's engine bay – although they didn't confirm which one. Most likely, it will be the 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 that first appeared in the X5M and X6M. With 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, it falls right in the ballpark with other supersedan outputs. That new powerplant will sit in a new cradle as well, with the all-new 5-Series just months away. Around these parts, we're starting to refer to this next generation M5 as the Goldilocks Edition. Six wasn't enough, ten was too much and eight is just right. Thanks for the tip, Derick!

VIDEO People get all jumpy when it comes to their new BMWs

Click above to view the video after the jump

Question for BMW owners: Have you ever been so excited about your Bavarian beauty that you went all Tom Wopat and dove into the driver seat without opening the door? We've been in quite a few Bimmers ourselves, and while the driving experience is usually pretty damn good, we've always just opened the door.

After the jump, a new commercial gets creative by showing BMW owners of all walks of life getting physical with their German wheels. If a Golden Girl jumping through the X5's moonroof and a guy leaping off a roof into a 1 Series makes you want to perform stupid stunts with your BMW, please reconsider, and if you still must, kindly make sure to have cameras rolling. We're sure Tom Bergeron is anxiously awaiting your video.

[Source: BMW]

2010 North American Car of the Year nominees announced

Here in the car journalism biz, this is that time of year when everyone is evaluating all the recently introduced cars to determine which ones truly stand out. Here in town, the crew from Car and Driver are doing their 10 Best testing this week. Elsewhere other magazines are doing their own evaluations.

The organizers of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have just released the short list of vehicles that they have deemed worthy of consideration for this year's awards. The winning vehicles will be announced in January at the North American International Auto Show. For now, the jury has to evaluate a list of 15 cars that includes the new MK VI Volkswagen Golf, Ford's Fusion and Taurus, and a dozen others. The list includes three cars with hybrid powertrains, two that offer diesels and everything from the Kia Soul to the Porsche Panamera.

On the truck side –which also includes crossovers and tall wagons like the new Honda Accord Crosstour, Acura ZDX and Subaru Outback – there are only 10 nominees. Check out the nominees in our galleries below – who will pick up the mantle after 2009's Ford F-150 and Hyundai Genesis?

Gallery: 2010 North American Car of the Year short list

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Gallery: 2010 North American Truck of the Year nominees

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