We’re all familiar with the BMW M5, arguably one of the best super-saloons that money can buy. But what happens when the guys over at BMW think, “You know, I reckon this could do with more power?”

Well, you guy the new BMW M5 Competition, which is festooned with 616 bhp courtesy of a reworked 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8. That’s 24 bhp more than what you get in the ‘standard’ M5. And, crucially, it’s more than the Mercedes-AMG E63 S will give you.

It might seem a little over-the-top, but there’s method to BMW’s madness with the Competition. You see, it recently pulled the same move with the BMW M2 Competition, which the firm described as a “complete reworking” of the M2. In fact, the M2 Competition replaces the standard M2 completely.

But when it comes to the M5, you can now have two flavours – standard or Competition. The idea is that, instead of speccing a standard M car with a competition pack, you can just go for a range-topping model that’ll include everything. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Competition treatment given to more M cars further down the line.

Anyway, back to the M5 Competition. Torque remains the same at 553 lb-ft, but more of it is available across more of the rev range. That means the M5 Competition will do the 0-100 km/h dash in 3.3 seconds – a 0.1-second improvement on the standard car. De-restricted top speed remains the same – at 304 km/h.

The suspension has had some sporty treatment, too, being 10% stiffer than before. The Competition also sits 7mm lower than the standard M5. Add to that more rigid engine mounts and more heavily cambered front wheels, and you have, according to BMW, an M5 with a “more obedient nature”. But on the flip side of that, you get a louder M Sport exhaust.

There’s no word on pricing yet, but expect the M5 Competition to come in at well over AED 500,000 – before options.

What do you think? More pics below.