BMW ends production of the M5, M6, and V10 engine

BMW announced that is officially ended production of the current generation M5, the M6 coupé, the M6 convertible, and the 507-hp V10 engine that powers the trio.

Due to tightening emissions standards in both Europe, and the United States, the V10 is being dropped in favour of a more tree-friendly twin-turbo V8. However, no details have been released about the new powerplant.

According to rumours that are circulating the internet, the new M5's power will be coming from a bi-turbo 4.4 litre V8. The numbers are speculated to be 547-hp, and 500 lb-ft of torque.

Launched in 2005, the M6 coupé proved quite popular with the "uber" crowd. It had an impressive power-to-weight ratio of only 3.37 kg's per-horsepower, which allowed the M6 to sprint to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds.

The convertible joined the lineup in 2006, and total worldwide sales reached 5,065. The coupé on the other hand, nearly doubled the convertible's sales figures with 9,087 units.

By contrast, the M5's total sales for the same period were 19,494 for the sedan, and 1,009 for the wagon version which was launched in 2007.

New versions of the M5 and M6 are expected to be released shortly.