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Raising the bar

Not content with the M5’s 5.0-litre V10 Racing Dynamics has

upped its capacity to create a 650 horsepower monster

Words: Alex Cadalso Photography: John Batte

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When the engineers at BavarianMotor Works Munich headquartersfinished the E60 M5 they must haveundoubtedly felt they had the besthigh performance luxury saloon in its

class. The M5 is a magnificent beast, powerful andstately, a machine equally at home on the track or inthe parking lot of a Fortune 500 company.

The E60 embodies the latest evolutionary step inM-series cars. Its lines are liquid, curvy, and it lookssculpted by the gods, not bolted together by man. Iexpect performance gains from the latest advances incenturies of internal combustion engine refinement,but BMW’s decades of research, design and

experience produced a vehicle like no other. Some ofthe new features, like the Head-Up Display (HUD),are otherworldly, seemingly ripped from tomorrow’sheadlines; I never glanced at my dash while I wasweaving in and out of traffic on California’s 5 freeway;all the information – speed, revs and navigationdirections – was splayed across the dashboard like ascene out of Minority Report or the Matrix. Afterreturning to my own car with its antique dashboardand gauges, I felt like I had stepped back in time.

BMW calls the M5 a “top athlete, ready for themost astounding performance” and it’s right.However, like any good trainer unsatisfied with hisprize fighters’ conditioning, no matter how

exceptional, Federico Pavoncelli and his crew atRacing Dynamics (known as RDSport in America andCanada) took BMW’s finished product and added abit more polish, and a lot more performance. The RS58 is its comprehensive, upgraded E60 M5.

Racing Dynamics parts start as sketches and evolveinto detailed drawings, then graphic renderings andeventually prototype parts. It tests all its products in awind tunnel to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.Pavoncelli says he tests his products side by side withmany of the top F1 and WSC teams, and taps topspecialists in vehicle aerodynamics for theirexperience. But before any of this happens, before somuch as a lug nut is modified, the Racing Dynamics

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crew spends hours testing, inspecting and catalogingeach stock vehicle.

“Our goal is to deliver the best,” he saysemphatically, “because we believe that our customersdeserve only the best, and this is why our productsare not as affordable as many others on the market.“

Fortunately we don’t drive in wind tunnels, soFederico gave me the keys to the RS58 and let metake it for a run on Southern California’s highways.Racing Dynamics stays faithful to the M tradition andstuck with a naturally aspirated motor instead of aforced-induction model. Rather than add the weightof a forced-induction system, Racing Dynamicssubtract weight from the engine wherever possible.

Pavoncelli says he doesn’t want Racing Dynamicsknown as a “boy-racer” tuning company that caters tothe crowd of “racer wannabes that fancy the gull wingdoors, the double-decker wings, the fake air intakes,and the carbon fibre plastered all over.”

“Although we recognize that there is a flourishingmarket for these products,” he says, “this is not whatRacing Dynamics is about. Our first approach tomodifying a BMW starts with the engine. After that,we need to modify the drive train and the chassis todeliver the increase in horsepower to the ground inan efficient manner. As this usually requires widerwheels and tires, there is a need to revise the overalldimensions of the body components to cover the

larger tyre sections and restore, if not improve, theoriginal aerodynamic drag coefficient.”

At the heart of Racing Dynamics RS58 then is a‘stroker motor’ (an enlarged capacity unit as usEuropeans would call it) conversion that uses muchof the same technology found in the latest F1 motorsand it claims its billet crankshaft, billet rods and forgedpistons are among the lightest to ever find their wayinto a production-based engine. It uses larger valvesand modified cam profiles for the ported cylinderheads to net a 17 per cent efficiency boost over stockcylinders. An additional, unforeseen bonus, is that thestroker motor conversion doesn‘t look any differentexternally, so you might possibly get away with

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convincing your local dealership that it’s a standardunit – until they drive it of course!

The numbers, and they’re impressive numbers –gains of 142hp and 98lb ft are not to be sniffed at –only tell part of the story. The car tells the rest in itsown earthy, low rumble and pleasant tone of voice; adistinctive growl from a well-tuned machine. Step onthe gas and the RS58 howls as it pushes you intoyour headrest. When you hear it coming down thestreet from inside a building, it sounds like someone’slaunching a rocket ship. I was awestruck when I sawthe M5 parked out front instead of a Ferrari.

Racing Dynamics’ complete exhaust systemincludes exhaust manifolds, metal matrix catalyticconverters, an X-flow midpipe and rear silencers. The stainless steel competition tubular exhaustmanifolds (CTEMs) are equal length tubular headershandmade in Italy. Simply swapping the M5’s OEmanifold with the Racing Dynamics manifold resultsin nigh on a 40 horsepower performance gain.Installation requires a new set of catalytic convertersto replace the OE units which were integrated intothe original manifolds.

The rear silencers deliver the aural pleasure. Thequad 85x90 chrome stainless steel tips give the RS58its signature growl and menacing appearance. TheCompetition versions feature smaller silencers thanthe sport system for a roaring sound that rivals one ofMaranello’s V12s.

The car drew many bewildered looks, enthusiastichowls and sympathetic honks from my fellow drivers.BMW owners were particularly impressed and Ifielded many questions about Racing Dynamics andits modifications while driving around town.

I opened up the throttle heading south on the 5

freeway and started to put the car through its paces.It’s safe to say the RS58 blew every other car right offthe road: it’s like bringing a gun to a knife fight. You’llonly realize the RS58’s full power on the track or in acontrolled driving environment, but you’ll have a lot offun toying with everyone else on the way.

Racing Dynamics says the scavenging effectgenerated by the 304 stainless steel X-Flowdownpipe improves torque in the 3500-4500rpmrange, and it increases the pipe diameter to 75mm inorder to reduce back pressure and increase throttleresponse. It maximizes the performance of its partsby reflashing the ECU with a custom map through theOBD2 port.

The RS58 feels stiffer than the M5 and the carreally excelled, and accelerated, in and out of turns.Racing Dynamics anti-roll bars are designed tocompliment its springs. Mandrel bent out of hollowheat-treated steel, it says these units deliver 30 percent more rigidity than the stock units, weigh 12 percent less, and swivel through urethane bushings firmenough to be used on the track; each spring istempered and tested prior to delivery. The RacingDynamics spring kits are designed as an entry levelsuspension tuning modification. Many enthusiasts puton larger wheels and want an aggressive, lowered carto complete the look, while RD also offers acompetition spring kit which lowers the car.

A car with loads of power and standard brakes isfunctional like a runaway train, so Racing Dynamicsupgrade the stoppers accordingly. The RS58 isequipped with larger drilled, grooved and slotted discsto increase braking power and shorten stoppingdistances. The RS58 runs like the wind and stops ona dime. The brake pedal is much more responsive

than standard and the stiffer calipers improveperformance during hard braking. The result is a setof anchors that are sensitive and responsive withoutfeeling touchy.

Many tuners forsake form for function, and sincethe M5’s dynamic curves make it more bombshellknockout than ugly duckling, I can’t fault them forleaving well enough alone. However, Federico andRacing Dynamics thankfully didn’t stop with the engine.

The RS58 elicited a ‘shiny object’ response in myprimitive brain in a way I never thought the E60could. Personally, I did not care for the lines of theE60. The latest design is a fairly significant break fromprevious looks, a style I feel too closely resemblessome of Lexus’ recent offerings. The lines might be‘powerful’ but they aren’t aggressive; I didn’t lust afterthe E60 like I did over E39. Until now. RacingDynamics’ subtle embellishments give the RS58 anaggressive look a car of this caliber deserves. The carhas a gripping, sleek, neo-futurist appearance;because of the HUD, the speed and the looks I feltlike I was in the Batmobile.

The carbon-kevlar add-on sections to the frontbumper are welcome additions that stay faithful tothe M design. The mean looking fins of the carbon-kevlar rear bumper add-ons coupled with the roofand boot spoilers really spice up the M5’s back end.All the pieces improve the overall aerodynamics ofthe car and are tasteful upgrades that add a lot to thecar’s profile without taking anything away from theoverall look.

The RS58 sports Racing Dynamics’ custom five-spoke RS2-F wheels, designed for the M5, thenewest addition to its growing wheel family. It’sdesigned a racy, yet classy performance wheel to

The numbers, and they’re impressive numbers – gains of 142hpand 98lb ft are not to be sniffed at – only tell part of the story

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Racing Dynamic RS58ENGINE: V10, 40-valve, normally aspirated

CAPACITY: 5799cc

MAX POWER: 649hp @ 7500rpm

MAX TORQUE: 482lb ft @ 5900rpm

0-62MPH: 3.8 seconds

TOP SPEED: 200mph

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compliment the overall design of the car rather thansome ostentatious chunk of chrome. The stainlesssteel outer is only 2.5mm thick and weighs the sameas the 6mm aluminum outer it replaces.

The test car featured the 20-inch model (a 21-inchversion is also available) that weighs a mere 11.3kilos. In pursuit of any weight-saving option, it usestitanium fasteners to complete the three-piece forgedwheel making it among the lightest wheels in its size.It offers other wheel models for the M5 but insists onthe RS2-F for the RS58 conversion.

The centre piece of the wheels on the test modelwas painted anthracite, and both the brake calipervisible through the spoke gaps and the RDSport logoon the wheel were painted in Racing Dynamics’signature blue, which was a nice touch.

The RS58 offers improvements over the M5 invirtually every performance category – acceleration,handling, torque, and top speed. Racing Dynamics’body kit is tasteful, understated and complimentary.

The wheels are beautiful and customizable. The RS58 is an extensive, comprehensive upgradepackage for a car that leaves little room forperformance upgrades.

Still, Federico Pavoncelli and Racing Dynamicsmanage to trim even more fat and squeeze evenmore performance from the stock M5. Federico isn’tjust passionate about cars, he’s passionate aboutmaximizing performance in BMWs and stronglybelieves in the brand.

He says that some of Racing Dynamics designswere incorporated and advanced in future releases.“These similarities are a testament to the fact that weare on the right path to preserving BMW’s originalidentity when we design our aerodynamiccomponents, and we are one of the few companieswho’s products could sit in a BMW showroom, next toBMW’s own vehicles, and not look out of place.”

Racing Dynamics claims this is the fastest naturallyaspirated S85 motor on the road and I believe them

after everything I’ve seen. From start to finisheverything about this car is faster and more efficientthan its already formidable M5 incarnation. If thistransformation took place on a late night infomercial,the before picture looks like your college girlfriendwho was too good for you and comes back in theafter photo looking like Claudia Schiffer. This soundstrivial, but finding an extra 140 plus horses in such ahigh performance vehicle is astounding and very, veryfun to drive ●

CONTACT:UKRacing Dynamics UKTel: 0845 6435 361Web: www.superlativeautosport.co.ukUSARD SportTel: 949 325 4100Web: www.rdsport.com

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