Even though the news that the next BMW M5 will get a 5.5 liter engine outputting 550bhp, came out about a week ago, we decided to sit on it since we couldn't confirm the information. Still, we had many people contacting us and asking if we have any inside information on that, so we decided to go ahead and report the news we have seen on other automotive sites. 

The rumor is that in 2011, BMW will produce an M5 version powered by a V10 5.5liter engine with around 550 horsepower. The rumor mill continues to heat up the bimmer world by saying that the new M5 will get a new seven-speed M DCT doube-clutch transmission or the six-speed manual gearbox.

On top of that, to align themselves with the latest move towards more economical cars, the new engine will likely get a direct injection turbo-charged unit and BMW's stop-start technology which automatically switches the engine off when it is not being used such as when the car is stopped in traffic.

Another thing that the new BMW M5 might have is an intelligent alternator control system that monitors the battery and it will use the energey that is wasting during the braking process.  

All these innovative features will likely improve the fuel consumption and make the new BMWs even more competitive when it comes to improving the MPG.

Like I said before, we can't really sign off on this rumor, but we promise we will look into that and post any new information we might get. 

The image above is an artist rendering, and not the actual design.

[Source: WorldCarFans ]