THE new BMW X5 4.6is is now on sale priced at £54,000. According to the company, it offers even more sportiness and pure performance.

The car features a 4.6 litre V8 engine and it goes from 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds on to a top speed of 149 mph. It has a modified five-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic.

A new programme has been created to accentuate the sporting character of the vehicle even in the conventional D mode. Switch to S mode and the driver discovers an uncompromising sports shift programme tailored to meet even the most enthusiastic driver's demands.

Racing driver Hans Stuck proved the outstanding capacity of X5 suspension technology when he lapped the 20.8 km long northern circuit of the Nurburgring in under eight minutes in a special X5 model powered by the BMW Le Mans engine.

As an additional safety measure the 4.6is is also fitted with BMW's DSC III stability control.

Despite the greater emphasis on sports car performance, the X5 4.6is retains its off-road qualities. This new model has even greater power reserves when subjected to extreme gradients or off-road conditions.