Slightly Less Exotic, yet Still a Better Sport Sedan Back in 2006 when BMW revealed the last M5 super sedan, fast cars were still all about, well, going fast. BMW crowed about its screaming V10 and no one really cared if it guzzled super unleaded at a furious pace. Now people care about fuel consumption and emissions, or at least they pretend to. Carmakers have to care, so the 2012 BMW M5 has to do more than just lay two black lines on the road whenever you stand on the right pedal. It has to be efficient while doing so and it can't emit even the faintest hint of black soot in the process. Which is how we've arrived here, driving a brand-new twin-turbo V8-powered BMW M5. It's down on displacement, more efficient and cleaner-burning, yet somehow it's still a ridiculously fast sport sedan that gives up nothing to its V10 predecessor. Deal With It Whether you love forced induction or not, it's here to stay. Not just in economy cars, but supercars and hot rod sedans, too, and that philosophy shift has radically changed the character of the 2012 BMW M5. The 4,395cc V8 slotted into the new M5's nose is related to the one in the X5 M and X6 M. It's not a direct swap, though — new heads have been fitted, revised twin-scroll turbochargers are nestled in the engine's vee, the intercoolers have been reworked and new pistons raise the compression ratio from 9.3:1 to 10.0:1. Boost pressure climbs to a maximum of 22 psi, partly as a result of a reshaped exhaust that poses less exhaust restriction. BMW has also fitted its Valvetronic variable valve control. M cars have traditionally used multiple throttle bodies to deliver maximum power, but Valvetronic does away with the conventional throttle butterfly and uses variable intake valve lift to do the job instead. BMW claims the addition of Valvetronic actually improves throttle response, but its real goal is to deliver some more palatable fuel figures. And it appears as though it works, as the new M5's V8 is 30 percent more efficient than the old V10, according to BMW. Nothing Wrong With a Pair of Turbos Yeah sure, that's all very nice, but there's only one reason for buying a car like the 2012 BMW M5 and that's for driving absurdly fast. And 30 percent efficiency improvement or not, the M5 delivers. Compared to the previous M5, power rises from an even 500 horses to 560 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. The maximum torque rating remains unchanged at 501 pound-feet, but its arrival starts at a mere 1,500 rpm compared to the V10's late 6,100 torque peak. BMW claims the extra power drops the M5's 0-62-mph time from 4.7 seconds to just 4.4 seconds. But even that doesn't describe how much faster the new car feels on the road. That huge spread of torque means the effective rev range is much broader than the old car's. The V10's midrange pull was never as weak as detractors made out, but a big overtaking maneuver always meant dropping a couple of gears. Not any longer. So, a win-win situation then? Almost. All that power means fewer trips to the redline because, well, you don't really need to bother. It's less work, but there's less reward. More importantly, the V8 doesn't sound anywhere near as special as the old V10. SMG Gives Way to M DCT We suspect few will mourn the loss of the old M5's clunky SMG transmission. In its place is BMW's new M DCT seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. You still shift it with those same tactile rubber-backed steering wheel paddles — or by tipping the console stick back and forth if you prefer. But the M DCT is light-years ahead of the old SMG manual, which felt slow and clunky back in 2004, and was feeling positively prehistoric by the time production ended last year. The new dual-clutch setup is smooth, quick, and makes the engine feel much more responsive than it does in the X5 M and X6 M, both of which make do with a traditional torque-converter-equipped automatic gearbox. But if you enjoyed the slightly scary sensation of the old M5 banging through the gears flat out, you might be surprised to find this one changes without much drama. The biggest gains are probably in Auto mode, as the DCT does a much better job of slipping unobtrusively between ratios when you're not in the mood to thrash the daylights out of the V8. And instead of the old SMG's bewildering 11 different shift modes, the new one has just six: three for Auto mode and three for Manual. Feels Like an M5 But just because this M car is easier to drive slowly doesn't mean it's not huge fun to drive fast. It might have had to bow down to the engine downsizing trend, but the M department hasn't rolled over completely. The steering is still hydraulically assisted rather than electrically driven, as on the other 5 Series cars. And you won't find a set of run-flat tires under the arches, just proper high-performance rubber. There's even a set of six-pot fixed calipers behind the front wheels, replacing the old M5's sliding caliper brakes. Compared to the old V10 M5 and the current standard 5 Series, this one has a grittier feel to its steering. It gives you a far clearer sense of what's going on down at the front wheels and feels much more precise just off center as you first tip the M5 into a bend. You need that precision, too, because at just 2.6 turns lock-to-lock, the new rack is quick (if not as swift as a normal 5 with active steering) and points the nose into corners with much more enthusiasm. And that's despite a 253-pound increase in curb weight to 4,123 pounds. The M Factor As before, there are numerous buttons clustered around the shifter, allowing you to tailor the driving experience to your own taste. But now the fat three-spoke wheel has not one, but a pair of M buttons to summon up either of your two favorite mixes of settings. Sound like overkill? Not with three settings for throttle response, three ESP modes, six gearbox modes and three damper settings to choose from. The ride is surprisingly good whichever damper mode you choose. As expected, the middle-of-the-road Sport setting provides the best blend of ride and body control for fast road use. That leaves Comfort for broken roads and Sport Plus for tarmac that's smoother than a granite kitchen worktop. Traction is impressive, too, in part thanks to a brand-new fully active M differential, which uses sensors around the car to decide how to apportion the torque across the rear axle for maximum bite. Or maximum slide. Come on, this is a BMW M5 after all. Switching the DSC to its intermediate setting allows a little slip, enough to let you feel the car moving around, but for the really flamboyant stuff you have to turn the whole lot off. And sure enough, you can. A More Subtle M5 As ever, the 2012 BMW M5's greatest asset is that it hides all this lunacy and performance under the inauspicious clothes of a midsize sedan. Aesthetic changes over the standard F10 5 Series sedan include an M3-style front bumper with three gaping air intakes, chrome-rimmed gills set into the front fenders, a small trunk lid spoiler and, of course, those four trademark exhaust pipes. The standard double-spoke wheels measure 19 inches in diameter, and a set of 20s is optional. Seems a bit much given that the standard rubber measures 265/40 in front and 295/35 in back. Either set of wheels looks sharp, though, so you can't really go wrong either way. If some of the M5's wilder character traits have disappeared in the metamorphosis from E60 to F10, then so have the rough edges. The brakes feel stronger, the performance is more usable and, if the engine is slightly less exciting, the improved chassis and much longer touring range makes up for it. It's all about efficiency these days, remember? It's a shame the V10 had to go. We're unlikely to see an engine like that again. But the new 2012 BMW M5 is more than just a great engine, it's a better overall sport sedan. 2012 BMW M5 First Drive M
"The maximum torque rating remains unchanged at 501 pound-feet" Hmm, so the V10 made the same torque while spinning far more RPM, but made less HP? Someone at insideline should probably doublecheck the E60 V10's spec sheet... Or perhaps read up on the diff between newtonmeter and foot pounds. And thank you BMW for lifting the press embargo, when I'm sick on my couch with just my laptop for entertainment. Edit: From Automobile: "The biggest disappointment with the M5 is turbo lag. Yeah, yeah, how typical that I'm complaining about a turbocharged M5. Actually, I'm not complaining about the fact that the M5 wears turbos: I'm complaining that the S63TU engine has so much more lag than the non-Valvetronic S63 did. In that silly X6M (and the slightly less silly X5M), the turbos were among the most responsive I've ever experienced. Not so in the M5 - the lag is significant enough that you have to drive around it. And it seems that M's engineers aren't fully using their arsenal of tools (Valvetronic, Double VANOS, direct injection) to mitigate lag. Case in point, drive at highway speeds, and the transmission is in seventh gear. Floor the throttle and you get a fairly quick downshift into third: revs in the top half of the tach, all is well. The problem is that there's no boost, so you get a clutch engagement, followed by no power for a second, followed by massive thrust. Boost should have been built by the time the downshift was done. VW does it and has been doing so for years. What gives? Oh, and remember: a full second of lag is one thing in a slow car, but think of the opportunity cost in a car like this! A second of lag is means you've missed out on probably some 15 extra mph. Seems like a small problem, but it got old very quickly when trying to pass slower traffic on country roads." http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1109_first_drive_2012_bmw_m5/exhaust.html This sounds quite odd?
The standard of automotive journalism is on the decline. Since when does the first drive of an M5 by Autocar not go to Steve Sutcliffe? The 501 foot-pound to NM torque confusion is laughable at first but then it just becomes sad. Does the journo actually not understand engines at all? This from Autocar: It contradicts what Automobile's Jason Cammisa has to say about the lag. Kable finds overtaking to be "effortless", Cammisa reckons it's a chore? Hmmm. Waiting for the EVO and Sport Auto verdicts. Personally, I can't believe that the F10 M5 suffers from any significant amount of lag. Not with that turbo setup - no way. Maybe Cammisa put his car into limp mode. Edit: Cammisa also mentions this in his write-up: Erm, Jason, such Torque Vectoring systems (like on fast Audis and other AWD BMWs) has been design specifically to mitigate the understeer inherent in an AWD vehicle. They enable the multiplication of torque to the given rear wheel with the most grip thus increasing yaw at the rear. Of course a powerful, rear wheel drive car with a limited slip differential - unfettered by a driven front axle - will do much the same and more.
That's BS indeed. As with my X6 M the variable twin-turbo's, all the thrust is available at a moment's notice with little-to-no turbo lag if I have to be critical or exaggerating. Turbo lag I literally felt back in the day when I owned a E53 3.0d. Not even the X1 23d Twin Variable Turbo has lag worth mentioning at ANY throttle position.
Funny how some of the American car sites have reported the F10 M5 press drives (Road and Track notably absent at present) but there's nothing yet on EVO, Topgear, AutoExpress, CAR UK et al...
Also in complete contradiction to what Edmund's review says - And as for the torque vectoring, I think the new Active M differential has some torque vectoring functionality or at least that is what the press release sounded like to me, though it sounds like it uses it more to stabilize the car than beat under steer -
The marginal turbo lag (only experienced by owners/drivers the past decade of high-revving NA V8; V10; V12 engines) in the ultra-modern turbo-charged engine's of today - we simply or they simply have to get used to today. Because turbo-charging and turbo engines are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Yes, in honesty it's quite a sad state of affairs - that people will go around waiting for press drives to make their mind up on the car, and then subsuquently being handed some nonsense by someone, who clearly understands very little about cars. For the record, if the E60 M5 had indeed had 501 foot pounds of torque at 6100 rpm, it would have produced +580 hp at that point, and with the prolonged torque curve at the top of the V10s rev range would have peaked around 685 hp.
Well,it seems that BMW did great job with new M.. Still,old V10 deserves one more car to breathe in..IMHO
This guy has serious issues with understanding the car's main components & interaction between them. Not to mention he obviously does not know how to drive a car.
Nuts! Sunny, in my opinion the term "Torque Vectoring" is bandied about too readily by car makers thus confusing buyers into thinking that all torque vectoring is the same thing. To my mind, there are two distinct types and for want for better words I would classify them as passive and active torque vectoring. Most so-called torque vectoring systems out there make use of braking force acting on individual wheels to achieve more or less yaw depending on the requirement. Examples are found in Mercedes' Torque Vectoring Brake, Porsche's PTV and McLaren's Brake Steer system. They all do the same thing: brake one or more wheels in order to achieve a change in directional attitude. I regard these as passive torque vectoring systems. There are just two systems that I can presently think of that fall into the category of active torque vectoring systems and these are Audi's optional Sports Differential and BMW's DPC rear differential. These systems go one step further than the other torque vectoring types through the use of electrically-driven superimposed gearsets on the output shafts of the differential. As a result these systems are able to speed up (overdrive) the wheel required to mitigate either understeer or oversteer. This is unlike the variable M-Differential in the M5 which uses an electronic clutch pack to broadly vary the amount of rear differential lock depending on the situation but not overdrive a given wheel.
CAR Magazine UK's preview video of the F10 M5: M5 seems to suffer no ill effects from the drop in capacity and move to forced induction.
