We’ve known for a number of months that the all-new BMW M550i xDrive can leave the F10 M5 for dead in a straight line.

In fact, it is capable of hitting 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.0 seconds compared to the M5’s 4.3 seconds.

However, as the M550i isn’t a full-blown M car, surely it must sound rather ordinary, right?

Well, as the playlist of videos below show, it actually sounds pretty good. Sure, it isn’t quite a match for the F10 M5’s twin-turbo V8 bellow and nothing like the V10-powered M5 of yesteryear, it certainly sounds impressive enough for those fortunate businessmen that will inevitably snap up the M550i in droves.

In terms of on paper figures, the M550i’s 4.4-liter V8 biturbo punches out 456 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The reason it is so much quicker than the 552 hp M5 is that it is offered exclusively with an all-wheel drive system.

As impressive as the M550i is, it won’t sit at the top of the 5-Series range for very long. A brand new M5 is just around the corner and with over 600 hp on tap and all-wheel drive, it is predicted to hit the magic 100 km/h mark in less than 3.5 seconds.

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