The fastest M5 around the Nordschleife isn’t a BMW

By topgear, 27 August 2018
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We’ve got a unique piece of news for you today, folks – a BMW M5 tuned by AC Schnitzer is nine seconds faster than a standard M5 around the north loop of a circuit called the Nürburgring, clocking a 7min 29.5sec around the little-known track in Germany’s west. 

Apparently, the circuit serves as something of a proving ground for manufacturers, who compete with each other for quicker lap times and the quiet pride that comes with them. AC Schnitzer has turned the tables on that quiet achievement, however, by telling Top Gear (and the world at large) that their creation laps Germany’s best-kept secret faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera S. 

To achieve this turn of speed around the secret squirrel circuit, AC Schnitzer has added another computer underneath the bonnet of the M5, which instructs the engine to make much more power than BMW instructed it to. The 4.4-litre V8 engine now makes 700 horsepower, as opposed to the standard 600 horsepower, which we understand is a larger number and therefore better. Also contributing to the AC Schnitzer’s lower lap time is stiffer, lower suspension.

We’re cautiously optimistic that more manufacturers will turn to this recently unearthed gem of a circuit to attempt faster and faster times around it. We’re also very confident that they’ll let us know exactly why it’s so important in the first place.