Feast your eyes on these two unicorn BMW F11 M5 & F81 M3 Touring Wagons…That’s right, WAGONS! Malte from Carbonfiber Dynamics is the mastermind behind this F11 5 Series Touring Wagon project. The idea was to get a grocery-getter F11 5 Series wagon and do an M5 conversion. Similar projects have been done in the past such as the BMW E39 M5 wagon conversion, an E91 M3 Wagon recently done by LTMW, and the stunning BMW F81 M3 Wagon seen above cooled by CSF as well (we’ll get to this build shortly). Considering the advanced technology in the newer F11 5 Series Touring and the F10 M5, this project will be quite a challenge.
Challenge Accepted!! Aulitzky Tuning, well known and highly skilled BMW specialist, partnered up on this build. The initial plan was to do a full F10 M5 drivetrain swap that includes the engine, transmission, prop shaft and front and read axles. Unfortunately, the 550i LCI Touring comes with an integral active steering rear axle that is an option exclusive to the Touring model and not on the M5. The front axle of the M5 didn’t quite line up as well so there was a lot of custom fabrication that was needed to get everything to fit. Once they fabricated suspension and differential mountings, custom front axles and steering components, the engine was ready to be mounted and installed.
Once the engine was in place, the next project was to get everything to talk to each other. Combining all the electronic modules from both F11 Touring wagon and F10 M5 to work harmoniously was like getting your significant other to choose what to eat for dinner. After about a week’s work, night and day, the wiring harness was complete, immobilizer reprogrammed and maps were transmitted, the engine started. IT’S ALIVE! The F11 M5 Touring Wagon is ALIVE! Everyone that has done a build from the ground up knows the satisfying euphoria of the engine starting for the first time.
Now that the swap is done, it’s time to add on some performance products. A fully custom KW variant 3 Coilover set was made specifically for this build as KW didn’t offer any suspension components for the F11 5 Series. Along with the KW suspension, a big brake kit from Movit was installed. The 6-pot fixed caliper with two-piece 400mm cross-drilled brake rotors should do the job in stopping this behemoth.
Time for MOAR POWAH! The objective was to squeeze about 800 horsepower out of the motor and as much torque the transmission could handle, so a simple remap wasn’t going to do the job. TheTurboEngineers in Germany reworked the twin Garrett M5 turbos to create their very own TTE800+ package. This involved installing larger CNC-milled compressors and turbines for maximum boost.
There’s no other way to complement the upgraded turbo’s by adding CSF’s BMW F1X M5/M6 Twin Charge-Air-Cooler Set (CSF #8109) powder coated in “Ultimate Green”. This is the world’s 1st cast end tank designed high-performance charge-air-cooler set for the BMW F1X M5/M6. The charge-air-coolers feature a custom-designed CSF liquid-to-air intercooler core and a top/bottom, cross-flow, dual-pass core configuration with a 2-stage water cooling system for maximum efficiency and intake temperature reduction. Each cooler is also equipped with built-in E85/Methane injection ports. The core size is 28% larger per cooler than the OEM charge-air-coolers and has been tested to significantly decrease intake air temperatures.
Details…it’s all in the details!! The interior design was flawless! Neidfaktor, in Germany, outfitted the “M5R Touring” with a complete bespoke interior that included a mixture of alcantara and green stithching to match the overall color scheme. The bulky stock seats were replaced with a simple two-piece Recaro seats re-upholstered to match the rest of the interior.
Check out this documentary with Aulitzky Tuning for the “M5R Touring” build:
After all the time, blood, sweat, and tears spent on this build, I would hope BMW would take notice and develop a M5 Touring model in the future to compete with the Mercedes AMG E63 S Wagon that hit US soil this past year or the Audi RS 6 Avant in the UK. Question is, is the demand there? How many of you would pull the trigger on an M5 Touring? Looks like it’s time to ask the magic 8-ball… Till next time! STAY COOL!
Update
Not too long after we featured this F11 M5 Touring Wagon, this F81 M3 Touring Wagon came from the heavens to bless the world with its presence. One of our dealers in the UK, Evolve Automotive had the opportunity to prep these two unicorns for the BMW Festival in the UK. While these two SWAGons were in their possession, they were able to squeeze in a photoshoot. I really hope the designers at BMW get a chance to see these two wagons and realize that there is a demand for these and consider producing M Touring models in the future. This BMW F81 M3 Touring Wagon has a laundry list of upgrades and is also cooled by CSF’s Top Mount Dual-Pass Charge-Air-Cooler (CSF #8082). I would love to see these two wagons in person together as it would definitely be a once in a lifetime experience. However, these photos will have to do for now.
Still need more? Check out Top Gear BBC’s feature on Malte’s F11 M5 Touring!
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