BMW has concocted a recipe that will have many car enthusiasts salivating: a diesel-powered, nearly 400-hp, all-wheel-drive, quad-turbocharged 5-series that is available as a wagon. It’s called the M550d xDrive, and it joins the V-8?powered M550i as the second M Performance model in the new seventh-generation 5-series lineup. At least it does in Europe, where it’ll go on sale later this year. As is often the refrain with European diesels and wagons, don’t count on it coming to the U.S. anytime soon.
The new turbo-diesel 3.0-liter inline-six installed in this special 5-series makes 394 horsepower and a whopping 561 lb-ft of torque. It’s aided by four turbochargers (yes, four)?one more than the previous-gen M550d?s inline-six had?to produce its maximum torque as low as 2000 rpm; it also achieves the rough equivalent of 40 mpg. All it’s missing for true purist street cred is a manual transmission; an eight-speed automatic is standard, routing power through a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.
Both the sedan and wagon versions of the M550d xDrive get a special body kit and their own 19-inch or optional 20-inch wheels to set them apart visually. Interior upgrades include sport seats, faux-suede touches, and aluminum trim. And, of course, you’ll find M badges everywhere, lest anyone overlook that you’ve splurged for the high-performance 5-series, if not the full-blown M5.

BMW Should Bring This New 5-series Wagon to America
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