Volkswagen tested the W10 engine in the BMW 5 Series

Car manufacturers frequently collaborate, showcasing unexpected partnerships. Take, for instance, Ford incorporating VW technology into its electric vehicles, reciprocated by VW basing the Amarok on the Ford Ranger’s framework. VW is also exploring tighter collaboration with Xpeng in China. However, the audacious notion of a VW engine within a BMW M5 (E39) seems far-fetched.

Paradoxically, a startling prototype defies this notion, as divulged by The Drive. This contraption derives its might from an engine that’s likely an enigma to most: the W10. Unlike its counterparts, the W8, W12, and W16, the W10 never transitioned beyond testing. Notably, the W16 powers numerous Bentley sports cars.

A BMW 5 Series housing a Volkswagen ten-cylinder engine raises eyebrows. The W10 engine emerges from the fusion of two VR5 engines, boasting 168 hp, though sporadically featured in select models and markets. Presumably, the W10 would’ve found residence in the VW Phaeton.

The origin of a BMW 5 Series donning a VW engine is perplexing. This atypical experiment allegedly sprouted from the desire of then VW chief, Ferdinand Piëch. Predicament arose from Wolfsburg’s lack of a comparable model to evaluate the engine, and BMW didn’t equip the E95 with this engine either—reserved for the later M60 series.

Piëch’s enthusiasm for the W10-BMW is notable; he supposedly adopted the Frankensteined 5 Series for personal use. Now owned by the Belgian-German racing team GDM Motors, the journey of the vehicle to this ownership remains obscure. VW has yet to affirm the prototype’s authenticity.

2022 BMW 5 series

Certain is that GDM Motors is presenting the W10-equipped BMW for sale. Sporting a 5.0-liter engine yielding 507 hp and 550 Nm of torque, its price remains undisclosed. Two more W10 engines are expected, though only two have emerged so far. Their origins, however, remain undisclosed.

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