- Messages
- 8,624
NEW M5 LEAVES US BEAMING
NOTHING short of greatness is acceptable for any BMW M car so this latest M5 based on the 5-Series executive saloon has a lot to live up to. The M5 doesn’t just have to be a fast saloon capable of carrying four people in comfort, at high speeds on straight motorways, it also has to be able to entertain the driver.
Because we now live in an age of safety and the environment, all this ability has to be done while returning decent fuel economy and with all the modern driver safety aids you would expect from any other prestige saloon; which is a lot.
Like previous generations the new M5 looks very like a regular 5-Series. Take a closer look and there are deeper front bumpers, it sits on lower suspension and along the side are the traditional wing air intakes and it is unmistakably M5 at the back, with four exhausts and a small spoiler on the boot’s lip.
Similarly, the interior is a subtle step up from the regular 5-Series. The high quality interior has such nuanced embellishments as coloured stitching on the leather steering wheel and a classy metallic dashboard inlay. There are also a host of extra buttons to control the M5’s additional mechanical and electronic kit that doesn’t feature on the standard 5.
If you are into your numbers (and who isn’t with a car like this?) then the M5 is stunning. The engine, a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8, produces 560bhp. Driving the rear wheels, this gives the car a similarly impressive 0 to 60mph time of 4.4 seconds and will take the car up to a limited top speed of 155mph. While the top speed is the same as rivals’ figures, the power and acceleration are better than the Mercedes E63 AMG and the Jaguar XFR. Amazingly, those figures are also better than the four-door Aston Martin Rapide.
Just as impressively, BMW’s M-division has somehow engineered the M5 to return an official average fuel economy figure that is about 20 per cent better than the competition at 28.5mpg. Translate those figures on to the road and you have a car that is devastatingly fast with potent acceleration that grows on you. That is because this model is perfectly refined and quiet when you want it to slip unnoticed through the urban sprawl, or when staying legal on the motorway.
The clever, seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox can be used like a regular automatic if you have the family on board or just want a more relaxed moment, but as soon as you want some fun you can switch to the paddles behind the steering wheel and treat the car like a manual. The gearbox also has three speed settings. The slowest change being the smoothest while the fastest mode lets you know the gear has reassuringly thudded home on full-power up-shifts.
The gearbox isn’t alone with its triple settings. The steering, suspension, throttle and traction control also have three settings. The previous generation M5 was criticised for such complexity but in the new model
these settings are much more understandable. Drivers will probably experiment with different options for a short time then save their favourites for regular use.
It is these settings that allow even greater ride comfort and refinement around town than a regular 5-Series. However, you also have a car that in its sportiest mode and on winding country roads offers precision and feedback through the steering with instant throttle response that makes every driving moment a joy.
Should you get as far as the race track the M5 will reward even further.
Turning the traction control to the “half off” MDM mode means the car will allow you to look like a hero by letting the rear break grip under power to a limited degree before bringing you back into line.
Switching traction control fully off is possible but is best left to professional race drivers because the amount of power in the M5 means it will go sideways in the right hands. In other hands it will end in an expensive accident. Rivals may be similar fun to drive but none has the outright performance or level of technical wizardry.
Are there any down sides? BMW is very unlikely to build an estate version this time so if you want more practicality you will have to settle for the nearly-as-fast Mercedes but that’s really about it. BMW’s M-division has not disappointed. The new M5 is a truly great car and anyone fortunate enough to be able to buy and run one will never regret their decision.
Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Motoring :: New M5 leaves us beaming
NOTHING short of greatness is acceptable for any BMW M car so this latest M5 based on the 5-Series executive saloon has a lot to live up to. The M5 doesn’t just have to be a fast saloon capable of carrying four people in comfort, at high speeds on straight motorways, it also has to be able to entertain the driver.
Because we now live in an age of safety and the environment, all this ability has to be done while returning decent fuel economy and with all the modern driver safety aids you would expect from any other prestige saloon; which is a lot.
Like previous generations the new M5 looks very like a regular 5-Series. Take a closer look and there are deeper front bumpers, it sits on lower suspension and along the side are the traditional wing air intakes and it is unmistakably M5 at the back, with four exhausts and a small spoiler on the boot’s lip.
Similarly, the interior is a subtle step up from the regular 5-Series. The high quality interior has such nuanced embellishments as coloured stitching on the leather steering wheel and a classy metallic dashboard inlay. There are also a host of extra buttons to control the M5’s additional mechanical and electronic kit that doesn’t feature on the standard 5.
If you are into your numbers (and who isn’t with a car like this?) then the M5 is stunning. The engine, a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8, produces 560bhp. Driving the rear wheels, this gives the car a similarly impressive 0 to 60mph time of 4.4 seconds and will take the car up to a limited top speed of 155mph. While the top speed is the same as rivals’ figures, the power and acceleration are better than the Mercedes E63 AMG and the Jaguar XFR. Amazingly, those figures are also better than the four-door Aston Martin Rapide.
Just as impressively, BMW’s M-division has somehow engineered the M5 to return an official average fuel economy figure that is about 20 per cent better than the competition at 28.5mpg. Translate those figures on to the road and you have a car that is devastatingly fast with potent acceleration that grows on you. That is because this model is perfectly refined and quiet when you want it to slip unnoticed through the urban sprawl, or when staying legal on the motorway.
The clever, seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox can be used like a regular automatic if you have the family on board or just want a more relaxed moment, but as soon as you want some fun you can switch to the paddles behind the steering wheel and treat the car like a manual. The gearbox also has three speed settings. The slowest change being the smoothest while the fastest mode lets you know the gear has reassuringly thudded home on full-power up-shifts.
The gearbox isn’t alone with its triple settings. The steering, suspension, throttle and traction control also have three settings. The previous generation M5 was criticised for such complexity but in the new model
these settings are much more understandable. Drivers will probably experiment with different options for a short time then save their favourites for regular use.
It is these settings that allow even greater ride comfort and refinement around town than a regular 5-Series. However, you also have a car that in its sportiest mode and on winding country roads offers precision and feedback through the steering with instant throttle response that makes every driving moment a joy.
Should you get as far as the race track the M5 will reward even further.
Turning the traction control to the “half off” MDM mode means the car will allow you to look like a hero by letting the rear break grip under power to a limited degree before bringing you back into line.
Switching traction control fully off is possible but is best left to professional race drivers because the amount of power in the M5 means it will go sideways in the right hands. In other hands it will end in an expensive accident. Rivals may be similar fun to drive but none has the outright performance or level of technical wizardry.
Are there any down sides? BMW is very unlikely to build an estate version this time so if you want more practicality you will have to settle for the nearly-as-fast Mercedes but that’s really about it. BMW’s M-division has not disappointed. The new M5 is a truly great car and anyone fortunate enough to be able to buy and run one will never regret their decision.
Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Motoring :: New M5 leaves us beaming
I was certain you would smoke that Nissan 
