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Nelson Ireson

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2012 BMW M5

HI-RES GALLERY: 2012 BMW M5

The world of high-performance sports sedans has changed by leaps and bounds over the past decade, and particularly so over the past several years, as higher levels of materials and technology become more available and suitable for daily use.

Working with its brake supplier, Brembo, BMW appears to be eyeballing another such technological upgrade for its brand-new 2012 M5, says Bimmerfile: carbon ceramic brakes. Capable of handling immense heat loads without failure, carbon ceramic brakes have been used for years in high-end racing series, as well as in several high-end supercars and sports cars. But only rarely to they make appearances in sedans.

That's perhaps an odd thing; the high heat capacity of the carbon ceramic rotors makes them particularly well-suited to large sedans; the weight of a 180-mph M5 translates into a lot of friction-generated heat when driving with spirit lap after lap.

We're still at least a year out from the carbon discs on the M5, however. Nonetheless, we're sure BMW will offer it as a retro-fit for early buyers, and that it will be a fairly popular upgrade for the more serious M5 drivers. At the very least, the upgraded brake package should trim some rotational mass from the car, improving steering feel and responsiveness. One potential downside for track-addicted owners, however: the carbon discs will be larger than the stock iron units, and will therefore require larger 20-inch wheels.