Volkswagen Put An Experimental W10 Engine In BMW's Best M5
Now, why would Volkswagen go and put this experimental engine under the hood of a German competitor? Drivetribe presenter Mike Fernie explains that it was due to Piëch's desire to produce an M5 competitor, but since the Volkswagen Group didn't have a comparable model at the time, Piëch himself signed off on putting his experimental W10 right into an M5. Then, he reportedly used it as his daily driver because he was so impressed by the outcome. Must've been a mighty compelling thing, then.
Read more: 2024 Acura TLX Type S Is A Different Kind Of AWD Sport Sedan
Now, if you're familiar with the unique wail of a five-cylinder engine, then you are probably desperate to hear what two narrow-angle V5 engines connected at the crank sound like. Unfortunately it doesn't have quite the throaty growl that you may expect, though it does sound interesting. But as Fernie points out, that's kind of the order of the day when it comes to the VW Group's W-oriented engines. Neither the W12 used in an array of Volkswagen Group products, nor the quad-turbocharged W16 used in the Veyron and other Bugattis are particularly sonorous engines. Go on YouTube and type "straight piped W8 Passat" into the search bar, though, and you'll find a few videos showing the ripper of a sound that the W8 produces. Anyway, back to the W10.
The owner of the W10 E39 M5 mule tested it out on a dynamometer and found out that it produces 480 horsepower and about 436 pound-feet of torque. Unfortunately I cannot offer any driving impressions from my own experience, but Fernie seems quite smitten with the manual-equipped, W10-powered E39 M5, and I can't blame him. He's experiencing a one-of-one driving experience, as the only other W10 known to exist is mounted to a post in the owner's garage. What a cool experience — I'm only slightly irate with jealousy. Apparently it's for sale, though, if you happen to have a spare $500,000-ish laying around. If you're like me and you don't have a cool half-mil to burn, then we can just watch this video on repeat.
Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox...
Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Forbes
Driving The 282mph Bugatti Mistral, The World's Fastest Roadster
Fewer than 150 people have driven the $5.8 million, 16-cylinder, 1600bhp, 282.04mph Bugatti Mistral, of which only 99 will be built, and it's sold out. I'm now one of the 150 or so. I'm also one of only a handful of journalists to become the steering-wheel and loud pedal guide to the missile, currently the world's fastest roadster. Bugatti's history has been progressively etched in automotive lore since 1909. Much of the innovation and competitive nature of the carmaker, as well as its drive for the exceptional, resurfaced, thanks to previous owner Volkswagen Group's input and investment, in 2005 with the Veyron and its W16 motor, its final iteration powering the Mistral. I'll spare you the history lesson - it's widely-chronicled in Forbes. Bugatti invents the hypercar Bugatti, based in Molsheim, France, effectively invented the "hypercar" segment with initial v-max runs of 253.81mph in the 1000bhp Veyron, rising with the Super Sport Veyron to (267.856mph) and now with the world's fastest roadster: the Mistral. Rolls-Royces have on their dashboards a "power reserve" dial, emphasising just how unchallenged the engine is in most circumstances. Tucked off to the left of the instrument binnacle on a Mistral, with its central 500kmh (310.686mph) speedometer, alongside the rising bar of the tachometer, is a parallel instrument notated from zero to 1600. It provides information about how much of the Mistral's available power you're using. Those numbers relate, of course, to bhp. Most of the time, in "normal" driving, a feat remarkably well within the lower-demands of Mistral usage given its F1++ power output, that bar barely flickers above zero bhp being troubled, everyday trundle-pace drawing on EV battery power. At the top, "1600" keeps drawing your attention, a short-term obsession, progressively more aggressive right-foot-flexing producing acceleration during gaps in traffic that would embarrass mere supercars. But even acceleration beyond anything I'd experienced (we're talking in McLaren, Lamborghini and Ferrari), an eye-flick to that power-use gauge sees it nonchalantly nudging a traffic-restricted peak of around 650bhp. Bugatti's "Pilote Officiel" urges deployment of 1600bhp My "minder", decorated racing driver Bruno Spengler, 41, and now Bugatti's "Pilote Officiel" is happily urging me on, he having earlier demonstrated what all 1600bhp feels like during a lucky, and safe, break in traffic, a piece of luck that continues to evade me... Then the two-lane highway suddenly opens up, Citroens and Audis peeling aside, a VW van being the last to present me with an open ribbon of road I hope by now is somewhere in neighbouring Germany. "Go," says Bruno. The speed of the human brain can be impressive. I floor the throttle, but before that ultra-slow-motion split second between starting to floor it and it meeting the firewall something in my mind causes me to back off a fraction. All that human brain computing power calculates, in perhaps a nano-second, a vast array of factors and parameters and, in this instance, came to the conclusion: "Iain, 1600bhp going through four driven wheels to the road is perhaps not a great idea right now, mainly because in doing so you'll be accelerating not just faster than you ever have, but faster than probably 99.9% of the world's driving population has ever experienced. Floor it properly later when you know what to expect." So I backed off. To just over 1000bhp. I'll restate that. Just over 1000bhp. My own 330bhp BMW is fast. I've driven the likes of Lamborghinis to not-far-short of 200mph, , and my Honda 1000 superbike barely breaks a sweat in muscle-flexing alongside supercars. 1000bhp proves to be the traffic-restricted maximum But that now-eternal mental snapshot is still the deployment of 1000bhp, while my memory stores a recording of the brain's gyros registering forces never previously experienced. Because I now know what 1000bhp feels like for a few seconds, I think I can imagine the sensation personally deploying 1600bhp would bring. Years ago I raced cars, but the Mistral's performance brings into starker focus what F1 drivers achieve for 90 minutes or more in their 800kg, 1000bhp cars (a Mistral weights over 2000kg with driver). And they always seem to be for more power. Pulling back into Bugatti's grounds, Bruno pays me the sort of compliment you'd want on your cv, and, let's face it, guys, the sort of thing you wish other people had overheard: "I wouldn't have let you try that if you weren't a relaxed and very good driver." Aw, shucks. The Mistral is more than a straight-line rocket The Mistral isn't just an absolute rocket in a straight line, it's a great handling car with enormous grip. I exited every corner believing I could have entered it twice as fast, the specially-developed Michelin tyres untroubled. The brakes wouldn't be out of place on a Boeing 787, and the quality, design, detail and sheer craftsmanship of the Mistral admirable. Those details of design and engineering abound once you take pause and walk around the car. After parking up, the rear spoiler remains deployed so hot air can be vented out of the engine bay, progressively closing as the engine cools. Stick a finger between spoiler and rear panel, and it stops lowering, designed to prevent small fingers of mesmerised children being trapped. It may be immensely fast and powerful, but perhaps the only thing stopping you using it more than storing it is its value. You can only use what it offers for seconds at a time, rarely attempt to v-max it, and then only on a limited number of private straight-line tracks or runways. But that's perhaps what makes it special. It'll always have the potential, but the few opportunities to realise that potential will be etched on your mind for eternity.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
California Is Giving Incentives For Apartments To Install EV Chargers
The ability to recharge an EV at home is an advantage that no vehicle that runs on fossil fuels can match. Yet this advantage remains elusive for many, particularly apartment or condo dwellers. California recognizes this need and has announced a $56.5-million subsidy available to multi-family homes and nearby sites to install EV chargers for residents to use. The Communities in Charge Project, with funding from the California Energy Commission Clean Transportation Program, wants to fill this as yet unanswered need with an emphasis toward disadvantaged and low-income communities. Up to $8,500 is available to site owners for every Level 2 charger they install, and up to $2,000 for Level 1 chargers. Tribal communities are eligible for additional incentives as well. The idea is to put chargers into less well-off communities that might not otherwise receive them. Although cars are more expensive than ever, EVs are shockingly cheap to lease these days, and used examples can be affordable to buy as well. Read more: These Are The Worst Tire Recalls In Recent History Filling An Important Gap This program helps solve one of the biggest gaps in the entire EV infrastructure. Currently, unless you own your home, you will likely not be able to install your own charger. This leaves apartment and condo dwellers at the mercy of public chargers, which, while improving, are still not particularly reliable. With home prices at an all-time high, most of us will probably rent and keep our gas cars longer to avoid public charging hassles. Giving apartment renters or condo owners the ability to charge at home might be just the incentive residents need to swap their gas guzzlers for EVs. Back in the day, the federal government used to plan and fund infrastructure projects. The Interstate Highway System is a great example of what we can accomplish with proper oversight and funding. However, EV infrastructure has been left mainly to private companies, which has resulted in a piecemeal approach. Electrify America was supposed to be the gold standard, except it's not so good after all. Tesla has thrown a lot of money at Superchargers, just for itself at first, but now basically every car company can use them. With federal EV tax incentives going away, it looks like it'll remain up to individual states and businesses to work out charging infrastructure amongst themselves. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business Upturn
Experian Exchange Season Three Launches
Business Wire India Experian has launched Season Three of its YouTube thought leadership series, Experian Exchange. This season takes a global perspective, exploring the evolving impact of data, innovation, and technology. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: With new episodes rolling out across the year, all hosted by award-winning journalist Del Irani, each edition offers fresh perspectives from Experian's influential leaders and global experts. Topics range from fraud prevention and AI breakthroughs, to emerging trends in automotive and the evolving marketing landscape. In an exclusive episode launching today, Malin Holmberg, CEO of Experian UK&I, shares her vision for the business and reflects on her early impressions of the UK market. Drawing on her experience leading Experian across EMEA and Asia Pacific, she shares global insights that shape her approach. In addition, she explores the evolving priorities of business leaders and highlights how advanced technologies — including GenAI — are helping address client challenges. The first two seasons of Experian Exchange also explored topics such as financial inclusion, healthcare, digital transformation, and customer experience, and featured insights from some of Experian's global leadership team. Season Three is available on Experian's website and its major digital platforms. To watch Malin Holmberg's episode or to watch previous episodes, visit About Experian Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We help to redefine lending practices, uncover and prevent fraud, simplify healthcare, deliver digital marketing solutions, and gain deeper insights into the automotive market, all using our unique combination of data, analytics and software. We also assist millions of people to realise their financial goals and help them to save time and money. We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agrifinance, insurance, and many more industry segments. We invest in talented people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data and innovate. As a FTSE 100 Index company listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN), we have a team of 25,200 people across 32 countries. Our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. Business Upturn take no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
