The updated BMW M5 Competition is on track to touch down in Australia later this year, with a sharp new look and the same twin-turbocharged V8 engine as before.

    In keeping with yesterday’s leak, the new M5 Competition will feature a new look to match the updated 5 Series range.

    It packs slimmer, more aggressive headlights up front, along with a revised front bumper. The grille has been reworked, but hasn’t followed in the 4 Series’s footsteps with a taller, slimmer interpretation of the classic BMW kidney grille.

    The taillights have new graphics in keeping with the wider range, and the rear diffuser has been redesigned.

    Only the M5 Competition is offered in Australia, which means the car will feature the gloss black package pictured here. A new 20-inch alloy wheel option is also available, borrowed from the M8 Competition.

    Inside, the M5 Competition now features the BMW OS7.0 infotainment system with two 12.3-inch displays.

    The central screen can be controlled using natural voice inputs (Hey BMW, change the temperature), touch, or using a rotary controller on the transmission tunnel.

    Power in the M5 Competition comes from a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 460kW and 750Nm, the same as the outgoing M5, along with the X5 M and X6 M Competition.

    It’s put to a switchable all-wheel drive system through an eight-speed torque converter transmission. The 100km/h sprint is dispatched in just 3.3 seconds, and you’ll be doing 200km/h in just 10.8 seconds from standstill.

    Pricing for the updated M5 Competition will be announced later this year, but expect a starting price not far removed from the current $234,900 before on-road costs starting price.

    Scott Collie

    Scott Collie is an automotive journalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Scott studied journalism at RMIT University and, after a lifelong obsession with everything automotive, started covering the car industry shortly afterwards. He has a passion for travel, and is an avid Melbourne Demons supporter.

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