iND F10 M5 “The Blue Deluge” in Yas Marina Blue
The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
-Sun Wu, The Art of War, chapter 10, 510 B.C.
The release of the F10 M5 brought an excitement and clamor to the BMW tuning community that had not been seen in many years. The amazing S63tu engine showed a tremendous amount of promise, and the chassis seemed mechanically ready for anything. IND’s own initial testing of the M5 proved this car to be simultaneously an incredibly competent track monster, and a docile and polite street car. BMW Motorsport had certainly achieved their lofty goals and created the ultimate executive sedan. The incredible success of modifying the MSS60 engine control computer found in the E92 M3 left tuners confident and excited about the S63 found in the F10 M5, prior to the car’s release.
Unfortunately for tuners, hackers, and tinkerers around the world, much of the F10 M5’s beauty was digital- an interface of man, machine, and computer system, perfectly guiding each steel and aluminum component of this incredible super sedan in flawless synthesis to achieve the car’s otherworldly performance. Unlike the E92 M3 just before it, the F10 M5 proved to be a tough nut to crack indeed, with no tuner to this day having flawless control over the chassis and engine control computers. Although some have achieved impressive figures by combining very mild ECU control with piggy back computers, wired in series with the original sensors to trick signals going to the original BMW ECUs, no tuner in the world has full control of the amazing BMW computer systems.
With this development, the staff of IND finally knew (a temporary) defeat. We understood that without complete and total control of the engine control computers, no built engine or extra large turbochargers would help us to arrive at the extreme power levels we desired.
It was time for a momentary retreat. We had to regroup, asses our goals, and truly understand our mission and the reason for spending tens of thousands on the IND F10 M5.
Ultimately we have always understood that we own this car to better the BMW enthusiast community. We use this M5 to study, learn, and make mistakes, and ultimately to create great products and parts for M5 fans everywhere. With that knowledge came a new mission statement: to create a deluge of great parts for M5 owners to enjoy on a daily basis. With that new mission statement came a new name: the Blue Deluge. We would attack the M5 from every angle, creating components that allow our clients to have the most unique parts and therefore the most unique M5s. We would develop components ranging from splitters to brake pads, giving our clients the ability to improve their M5’s appearance, performance, and individuality. We would develop and test fit parts on our own car, before sending them off to our clients, to ensure the highest level of quality.
It is with this in mind that we re-tooled the M5 project to what it is today: a street-driven, turn key test bed for all of the best components available for the F10 M5. Many of the original components remain- the AMS downpipes, the larger AMS-built turbos, the KW 3 way adjustable ClubSport coilovers, and so on, but many will be adjusted and modified for more civilized behavior. We have raised our ClubSports for a more easy to use ground clearance, we have re-installed the original BMW interior, and have removed the roll bar. We have repainted the car in BMW’s amazing Yas Marina Blue finish, removing the racing livery inspired design the car sported in 2013. This version of IND’s M5 sports an RKP front lip and rear diffuser, combining the clean and well integrated lines of those pieces with RKP’s new 4×4 weave give the exterior of our M5 a show car appearance.
Throughout the summer of 2014 we will continue to test new components, design great parts for the F10 M5, and to make mistakes. We will lend the car to local M5 owners so that they can experience these components first hand, and we will use this car as a proving ground for exactly what the M5 is best at: a car that can perform perfectly at the race track on Saturday, while still taking you to the office on Monday.
We hope you enjoy the photos of IND’s re-invented M5 project, the Blue Deluge.
