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BMW M5 Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition is a US special

America usually misses out on limited-edition models, but BMW has just made an ultra-exclusive version of its M5. Only 50 units of the Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition will be made, and the high-performance sedan is a US-only affair. Built upon a M5 with the Competition Package, the special edition boasts more power and a unique paint job to make it stand out from the regular M5. The Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition is up to 600 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, which is 25 hp and 16 lb.-ft. of torque more than a M5 fitted with the Competition Package. The added power is from an increase in boost pressure and "targeted modifications." Thanks to the M dual-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, zero to 60 mph is dealt with in 3.9 seconds. The special edition is only marginally quicker than a base M5, so the power increase is more useful in bar trivia than in the real world. On the outside, the Pure Metal Silver paint job is one of the special edition's defining features. The color is BMW's most expensive paint option – it costs $10,000 in BMW Individual's Catalog. While being insanely expensive, the paint job is stunning and gives the M5 a chrome-like look. Besides the paint, the special edition retains the 20-inch M alloy wheels, black M Performance kidney grill, and M Performance Exhaust with carbon bezel as the M5 with the Competition Package. The interior features Merino (gray) leather with contrast stitching and aluminum trim to match the sedan's unique paint job. Each vehicle will have a badge (ranging from one to 50) highlighting the vehicle's limited quantity on the trim. Pricing for the Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition starts at $130,900 plus a $995 destination and handling fee. That represents a $30,000 price hike over the M5 with the Competition Package. That's a whole lot of silver for a gray car. But the special edition does come with the M Driver's Package as standard, which raises the top speed to 190 mph and includes an entire day of high-performance driving at BMW's Performance Center in California or South Carolina. The ultra-exclusive M5 will be available in August. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 BMW M5 Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition News Source: BMWImage Credit: BMW BMW Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan limited edition

British automakers take costly precautions as Brexit 'no deal' fears grow

LONDON — Carmakers in Britain have triggered some Brexit contingency plans, such as certifying models in the EU, and are working on redrawing production schedules and stockpiling more parts to defend against any loss of unfettered trade after Brexit. The moves are aimed at ensuring plants, which rely on the just-in-time delivery of tens of thousands of components, can keep operating after Brexit on March 29, but will add costs and bureaucracy which could risk their long-term viability. London and Brussels hope to agree a deal by the end of the year to avoid tariffs and trade barriers, but Prime Minister Theresa May's proposals have been criticized by both Brexiteers, who want a cleaner break from the bloc, and the European Union. McLaren Automotive is looking at having its cars certified by both a British and an EU agency to smooth sales. It is also planning to stockpile critical components and change shipments into the EU around Brexit if there is disruption. "I will sell a little more in January and February and plan to pick the volume up in May and give us a leaner period through the change point," Chief Executive Mike Flewitt told Reuters. BMW, which said last week it would move the annual summer-time shutdown of its British Mini plant next year to April, is looking for lorry parking areas and warehousing on both sides of the channel and is seeking to sign contracts to lease certain locations, a spokesman said. It is also investing in IT systems to handle any new red tape as carmakers estimate tens of thousands of new documents could be needed if tariffs and customs are imposed. The German carmaker's Brexit plans are costing millions of pounds, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. But Honda, which builds 10 percent of Britain's 1.67 million cars at its Swindon plant in southern England, is not in the market to buy "huge amounts of warehousing space," its Europe boss Ian Howells told Reuters. "It's been a very precise calculation or estimation of what components need to be brought in," he said, adding the firm could also alter its output to sell more into the EU at the start of next year. Waste of money? Many British carmakers have also asked suppliers to look into how they would handle delays at ports, executives told Reuters, as thousands of parts, engines and finished models move between Britain and the continent every day.

Tesla exec calls rival EVs 'little more than appliances'

Tesla's Vice President of Business Development Diarmuid O'Connell called the company's competition "little more than appliances" at the Center for Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI yesterday. "In essence, [mainstream automakers] delivered little more than appliances," O' Connell said. "Now, appliances are useful. But they tend to be white. They tend to be unemotional." According to Automotive News, O'Connell's main critique is that vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 don't deliver enough performance or range to draw the attention of consumers outside of a small group. The solution, in O'Connell's mind, is more power, more range, more excitement and a lower price – that last point is particularly rich coming from an automaker whose cheapest current offering, the Model S 60, costs $66,000 – although the cheaper Model 3 is on the horizon, way out there, somewhere. But some EVs are better than none, O'Connell added. "On balance, I'm happier that [traditional automakers are] doing these cars than not," O'Connell said. "I just wish they would do them better and faster." O'Connell also used his appearance at the Management Briefing Seminars to launch a volley at the Michigan legislature, blaming its opposition to Tesla's direct-sales model for the lack of available EVs in the Wolverine State. "I think if the Michigan Legislature would allow Tesla to sell cars in Michigan, we could probably address [the lack of available electric cars]," O'Connell said. Related Video: