BMW M5 (E60) V10 in a family sedan: S85 throttle bodies

BMW M5: mechanical breakdown

Exhaust Sounds from an E60 M5

Filed under Exhaust Sounds, with a caption about a V10 in a family sedan. No events or parts are named, so there is nothing more to say about the clip itself. The engine in question is the S85B50, a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 with its shriek near the 8,250 rpm limit.

Ten throttle bodies, no boost

Induction on the S85 is ten individual throttle bodies, one per cylinder. There is no turbo or supercharger, so nothing sits between the pedal and the cylinders except those throttles. Air reaches each cylinder through its own valve instead of a single shared plenum, which is why the pedal acts directly on each cylinder and why the engine can be a 4,999 cc unit that still makes 500 hp (373 kW) and 520 Nm without boost. The cost is the hardware. Ten throttles mean ten points of control, and throttle actuator failures are a documented weak point of this car. A fault there shows up as a limp mode, not a gradual loss of power.

Bearings and exhaust: the two jobs

Rod bearing wear is the S85's best-known risk, so preventive rod bearing replacement is the main job. It reduces the risk of engine failure. The trade-off is a labour-intensive, expensive repair, since the bearings sit deep in the engine. The uploader named no parts, so the sheet's other typical change is an aftermarket exhaust or headers. They give a louder, sharper V10 sound. Cost is the first drawback; the second is possible drone at cruise and legality problems, depending on where the car is registered.