BMW F1X M5/M6

Feeding the beast that lives under the hood of BMW's F1X generation M5 and M6 is a multicourse meal. The twin-turbo V8 has quite the appetite, and no forced induction power buffet would be complete without a course of intercoolers. Of course, they're a staple part of any balanced turbocharged meal for a growing powerhouse. Our intercoolers are fresh off the production line and looking mighty appetizing. Before the S63 scarfs these intercoolers down, though, we wanted to get a closer look at Mitch's design come to life. 

When we last left off, these intercoolers were two chunks of shaped plastic, 3D printed to triple our check the fitment in the already cramped engine bay. Now though, we have the real deal, and we're eager to show them off. 

The executive level is cut-throat. It's always portrayed as a world full of like-minded, power-hungry individuals desperately looking to get ahead of their fellow man. Every achievement is paraded as a victory over others, and everyone has a weakness that's exploited. While this might be more of Hollywood's representation of the corporate world's upper crust, the performance executive segment is that competitive. Auto manufacturers have been duking it out for decades to climb the ladder of the segment that BMW practically invented with the M5. Now in its sixth generation, the progenitor of physics-defying luxury sports cars has a weakness open for exploitation in the form of mismanaged oil temperatures and a vulnerably mounted oil cooler. Luckily we're already on a mission to reinforce this weak link. 

The S63 contained under the hood of BMW's F1X generation M5s and M6s have quite the appetite for power. Unfortunately, this hunger and impeccable taste mean that these Ms aren't easily satiated, and it takes a full course meal to satisfy their cooling needs. So far, we've only just looked at the menu for our intercooling upgrades, but now it's time to give it a small taste.

Even as advanced as our modeling programs are, the virtual workspace can only get us so far. Also, we felt the need to triple-check our work, given how particular we are about fitment, combined with our larger intercoolers. The best way to review the fitment of our intercoolers without starting mass production is by putting our 3D printers to work. Within only a few hours, we're able to churn out a 1:1 scale replica of our new intercooler design that's ideal for test fitting.

The term 'power hungry' typically isn't a great way to describe someone. This phrase carries a negative stigma for those willing to sacrifice it all to make their way to the top. However, when it comes to your executive sports sedan, this is precisely the descriptor that you'd want to hear, with the F1X platform BMW M5 and M6s being no exception.

The S63 under the hood of these big M's isn't starved for power. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The stout 4.4L twin-turbo V8 rolled off the assembly line with 523 HP and 502 TQ crammed under the hood. However, even with this healthy dose of power, the M5 and M6 yearn for more speed, and we're happy to facilitate that need.

For forced induction

The big BMW M's, like the F1X M5 and M6, are the young executives of the automotive world. They're powerful yet hungry for more. They're decisive and maneuver with precision, but most importantly, they're cool under pressure. Sometimes though, they can lose their cool, and for the M5s and M6s of this era, the oil cooler tends to be the source of their undoing. Luckily, we've already started on our plan to help the F1X's keep climbing the performance ladder.

Before we dig into our plans to improve the M5's oil cooler, let's take a look at the OEM cooler. BMW engineers are masters of packaging. Effective use of space is the name of the game, and when it comes to fitting the array of coolers on the front of their powerhouse sedans. In the case of the oil cooler, the engineers mounted this heat exchanger horizontal and right at the edge of the M5's big-mouthed fascia and perpendicular with the rest of the cooling stack. This mounting method means that the cooler effectively utilizes the