We don’t do things by halves when it comes to driving dynamics and ride comfort with the new BMW M5 Touring (G99). Thats the reason why we now have the KW V4 coilover suspension kit in our product range for the latest “M Wagon”.

First of all, the new BMW M5 Touring differs completely from its two predecessors. That’s no surprise. After all, an eternity seems to lie between the new BMW M5 Touring (G99) and the BMW M5 Touring (E61), built from 2007 to 2010, not to mention the BMW M5 Touring (E34), produced from 1992 to 1995 in a small edition of fewer than 900.

Back in the days BMW M took inspiration from Formula 1 to develop the high-revving S85 V10 for the M5 E61, making it the only car manufacturer to install a V10 in a station wagon. For the M5 E34 Touring, engineers bored out the S38 straight-six-cylinder engine to 3.8 liters of displacement.

The BMW M5 Touring (G99), on the other hand, combines a 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo with an electric motor. For the first time, the BMW M5 Touring features all-wheel drive, making the large sports station wagon a completely different car in every aspect of driving dynamics.

The plug-in hybrid gasoline engine delivers a maximum torque of 1,000 Newton-meters and a system output of 727 hp (535 kW). No BMW M5 has ever been this powerful straight from the factory. BMW lists the nominal output of the S68 V8 twin-turbo at 585 hp (430 kW), and rates the additional electric motor at a 30-minute output of 197 hp (145 kW). In purely electric driving, the theoretical range of the new M5 Touring is around 60 kilometers.

For this reason, we developed a completely different suspension for the BMW M5 Touring (G99) than for its two station wagon predecessors: the KW V4 coilover suspension. Drivers of high-powered vehicles use our KW V4 when they demand more in driving dynamics, comfort, and safety.

For example, we use our “V4 technology” for various manufacturers and deliver it directly to the assembly line. BMW M4 GTS (F82) was one of the first production cars with a suspension based on KW V4. Since this time selected special models from other German car manufacturers now feature this technology.

KW V4 is now also available for the BMW M5 Touring (G99), which differs in detail from the variant for the BMW M5 Sedan (G90) in attachment points and design. We manufacture the shock absorbers for the two driven axles of both the M5 Touring (G99) and the M5 Sedan from a high-strength aluminum alloy.

We always use aluminum for the shock housing or shock absorber when the coilover suspension does not take over wheel control tasks, as in MacPherson designs. This also applies to the BMW M5 Touring (G99) and the BMW M5 Sedan (G90). For other vehicles, however, we continue to manufacture the KW V4 from stainless steel.

Three-ways adjustable dampers

When we talk about adjustable suspensions at KW, we mean damper adjustability, not the option of stepless lowering. It goes without saying that our coilovers have these. KW V4 dampers can be tuned independently for high-speed compression damping, low-speed compression damping, and low-speed rebound damping.

In suspension design, shock absorbers or vibration dampers with three or more adjustable valves allow engineers to map a much wider characteristic curve field. Our KW V4 allows the BMW M5 Touring (G99) to steer much more precisely. Even with load changes, the station wagon, which weighs over 2.5 tons, responds very predictably.

Even during demanding driving maneuvers with rapid load changes and tight corners, the BMW remains directional and controllable. The carbody support in particular benefits immensely from the elaborate valve technology. With the KW V4 coilover suspension kit the Touring feels even more agile.

If the preset suspension setup for the M5 Touring feels too comfortable or slightly too firm, you can choose a different setup in just a few simple steps, even after KW V4 coilover suspension has been professionally installed by a KW installation partner.

Simply put, this individual adjustability allows comfort and performance to be optimally balanced, and handling and driving stability to be optimized for a wide range of driving situations. But that doesn’t mean KW V4 coilover suspension softens all driving dynamics and sportiness, nobody wants that.

KW V4 coilover suspension allows separate adjustment of compression damping between slow and fast deflection speeds in the low-speed and high-speed range with 13 clicks each, enabling you to personally choose the perfect balance between driving comfort and dynamics. Regardless of this, the low-speed rebound can also be further adjusted with 16 clicks.

Setting parameters quickly explained

For those unfamiliar with the terms high-speed, low-speed, compression, and rebound, we’ll explain what they mean and how they influence handling of the BMW M5 Touring (G99). High-speed and low-speed in chassis development refer not to vehicle speed, but to how quickly a wheel compresses.

High vertical wheel accelerations in a car always relate to the road. If, for example, the BMW M5 Touring (G99) drives over a poorly developed, undulating country road with many uneven surfaces, such as makeshift asphalt, the wheel compresses faster. The same happens on the highway, for example with bumps, bridge joints, or when cutting curbs. Slow vertical wheel accelerations, on the other hand, result from typical driving maneuvers: braking, accelerating, and steering.

The compression damping can be used to influence the immersion speed of the damper piston rod to a certain extent. Compression damping also affects pitching and rolling movements of the body, as well as steering behavior, by supporting the body.

Increasing compression damping causes the piston rod to rebound more slowly. The heavy M5 Touring remains more stable during steering movements, as the body receives better support. A firmer compression damping results in more precise steering behavior. Opening the compression damping valves increases rolling comfort in the M5 Touring.

Adjustable low-speed rebound damping affects the working speed of the piston rod during rebound. It controls how quickly the suspension spring returns to its original position. Opening the rebound valves provides a more comfortable ride; closing them results in firmer tuning and more direct handling. This adjustable multi-valve technology creates significantly greater differences than conventional electronically adjustable suspension.

For example, Audi offered the Competition Plus package for the RS5 Sportback (F5) and RS4 Avant (B9), which includes a three-way adjustable RS sports suspension as part of the equipment list. This means the RS4 drove 1.9 seconds faster with the same engine power in the Autobild Sportscars test on the 3.671-kilometer Sachsenring. The RS4 with the Competition Plus package was a whole 20 seconds faster at Sport Auto on the Nordschleife!

At the time of publication on our KW automotive blog, no current lap times were available for BMW M5 Touring (G99) with KW V4 coilover suspension on various race tracks.

Further developed V4 technology also used in M5 Touring (G99)

Anyone following KW suspension developments knows we at KW automotive continuously develop our kits. With our KW suspensions brand, we do this not only for new product families but also to optimize existing suspensions. In the past, for example, we installed the adjustable high-speed and low-speed compression valve in an expansion tank on KW V4 coilover suspension.

This is no longer necessary. For this reason, the KW V4 coilover suspension kit for BMW M5 Touring (G99), like other current vehicles, does not include an expansion tank or piggyback. We use an external expansion tank on our kits when compensation volume for the fluid is needed in short damper housings and no internal reservoir can be used.

As part of the parts certificate or part type approval (TTG), the KW V4 coilover suspension enables continuous lowering of 10 to 30 millimeters on both driven axles of BMW M5 Touring (G99). Our KW V4 coilover suspension kit naturally includes the cancellation modules for the electronic damper control.

Height-adjustable springs will soon be available for the M5 Touring. These can be used in combination with standard dampers. This is particularly interesting for those who want discreet lowering and are satisfied with adaptive standard dampers.