Let's say you've got two mid-size BMW sedans in your garage. On one side rests Racing Dynamic's R50 Sport and on the other a new M5. Which one are you going to drive? From a number perspective, it would be a tough choice: They both hit 60 mph in 4.7 sec., both will cruise at 150 mph all day, both will come to a dead stop from 60 mph in less time it took to type this sentence, and both cars will pretty much mirror each other around a race track. You can buy an M5 for about seventy large at hundreds of dealers across North America, whereas the R50 costs about the same but springs from a handful of locations throughout the United States.
The R50 Sport doesn't make much sense, especially when it would be much easier to simply buy a new M5 and drive off into the sunset. Of course, anyone can buy an M5...hell, in certain parts of Beverly Hills they litter the streets like Camrys at Wal-Mart. If exclusivity is important, get an R50 Sport. If you just want to go fast, leave it to M Technic's crew.
Federico Pavoncelli, the talent behind Racing Dynamic's West Coast operation, is the first to admit the obvious. He speaks of R50 "issues" like an artist describing a complex painting. According to Federico, the idea was not to build an M5 killer (that's a damn tough proposition) but rather develop BMW's ubiquitous V8 engine for unique applications. Imagine this motor in an X5. Imagine 13-sec. quarters...in the dirt! Imagine the 740i with this engine, or how about the 840i? Sounds pretty good, yes? Federico and company think so and used the car on these pages as a testbed for their motor development...a mule, if you will. A damn fast mule.
The R50 program is based on the M62 single VANOS, 4.4-liter V8 residing in the E31, E38 and E39 cars. BMW's four-valve engine is enlarged to a bore and stroke of 94x88.8mm, nearly the same displacement as the M5 (94.9x88.8mm). The special composition of the aluminum block means the process is especially time-consuming--the block is affixed to 4-in. torque plates and requires several passes to complete the boring. The Alusil(TM) coating is then restored with special buffers and compounds that re-align the grain of the cylinder walls, a very important step that maintains the ultra-low friction surfaces. Racing Dynamics uses cast Kolbenschmidt pistons and factory rods, all balanced and blueprinted. The block must be clearanced to accommodate the new billet crank, and new oil squirters are moved to provide optimum piston cooling. Racing Dynamics ports and polishes the 32-valve head and fits it with larger intake valves--and its own special blend of cams run the valvetrain. Compression rises to a heady 11.3:1, but the computer and the upgraded 3.9-bar fuel system keeps everything happy. The engine spins to 7200 rpm and is rpm-limited to 179 mph. At Racing Dynamics' Dusseldorf plant, the R50 Sport turned the big dyno wheel to the tune of 411 bhp at 5700 rpm with 379 lb-ft of twist.
The R50 Sport goes ballistic the moment you prod the throttle--the tach spins to redline so fast the first three gears take you to triple digits before the windows close. The accompanying sound is more exposed than the M5, a bit rawer. There's nothing like the scream of a well-balanced V8, and the R50 has a gorgeous voice.
I'd wager the R50 would out-pull the M5, at least until 100 mph. Racing Dynamics replaced the factory's 2.81 final drive with more aggressive 3.15 gears. The biggest problem is getting the rear tires to hook up--forget to feather the gas, and the R50 Sport does quite a smoke show. Although the factory brakes are up to the task, Racing Dynamics increased their performance with multi-piston calipers that grip massive 14-in. rotors with floating hats. It stops hard enough to throw the splattered, dead bugs off the windshield.
I've always been a fan of Racing Dynamics' suspensions, especially after we used its gear on our own long-term 318Ti. This 5 Series was appropriately suspended with Racing Dynamics bits, including its dampers and coil springs, sway bars and strut braces. Smooth, refined, precise...pick an adjective: All the good ones describe the resulting ride.
Perhaps the only bad thing about this car was the running gear--those gorgeous five-spoke RGQ wheels have been discontinued by Racing Dynamics. A split-spoke wheel has since taken its place but at the loss of one of the best-looking wheels of all time. This car was fitted with 8.5x19 fronts and 9.5x19 rears, wrapped with Yokohama AVS Sport tires (245/35ZR-19 and 275/30ZR-19).
The body was augmented with Racing Dynamics' R50 athletic wear, including the front and rear bumper covers, side skirts, sport mirrors and rear wing. The stuff is manufactured from tough PUR-RIM plastic and withstood a frontal assault on a parking berm during our test session. The interior has been treated with Racing Dynamics aluminum pedals, shift knob and mats.
Although any monkey can stick an "M" on his 318 and call it an M3, cars tattooed with Racing Dynamics inkings are the real deal. Racing Dynamics jealously guards its product line, and no car flies its colors unless it's been through extensive training. This car was a typical example of what a German performance vehicle manufacturer does. No, you probably won't see many of these on the road, but that 8 Series that just went supersonic probably has an R50 motor stuffed up its nose.
Racing Dynamics GmbH
Klner StraBe 18
D-40885 Ratingen
Germany
Phone: 49-(0)2102/991-00
Fax: 49-(0)2102/991-020
www.racing-dynamics.de
Racing Dynamics
4750 Eisenhower Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22304-9670
(703) 823-0842
Fax: (703) 823-0842
www.racdyn.usa.com