GAME CHANGER.

Perhaps the most visible part of the Adaptive M Suspension is hidden behind the alloy wheels: the special shock absorbers. Electromagnetically controlled valves in the damper pistons allow the damping forces to be adjusted steplessly. When the valves are opened, more oil can flow from one damper pipe into the other and the damping effect is reduced. In this way, the chassis can balance out unevenesses more effectively and driving comfort increases. When they’re closed, the damping is tauter and the handling more direct: a desirable effect for driving fast on roads and racetracks.

The system can regulate all dampers individually and independently. Sensors ascertain the current movement of the chassis, the condition of the driving surface and the driver’s preference, e.g. the steering speed in a chicane. The optimal damping forces are calculated in a few milliseconds and constantly steplessly adjusted.

The choice of the three available modes COMFORT, SPORT and SPORT+ sets the basic character for the dampers.

• In COMFORT mode the drive is fast and relaxed: the dampers iron out uneven road surfaces and offer a high level of driving stability.
  

• The damper setting in SPORT mode is tangibly tauter. Reduced wheel movement and more direct road surface contact with sufficient comfort mean perfect handling on both roads and uneven racetracks, like for instance the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.
  

• SPORT+ mode makes no compromises, the tone is set by a particularly precise ride: on even surfaces, the minimal wheel and body movement enables maximal longitudinal and transverse forces to be achieved. This mode is especially suitable for flat racetracks.
  

Shock absorbers and axles are the central elements of the Adaptive M Suspension. For ideal working conditions, these flexible components need one thing in particular: a stiff chassis. The BMW M engineers thus favour additional lateral and cross struts, which reinforce both the front and rear of the BMW M5. Thanks to the increased stiffness of the whole vehicle, precision and driveability when driving at the limit are significantly increased.

High performance in every detail: all the measures taken with the Adaptive M Suspension add up to the driving experience for which BMW M automobiles are known.