M5 The New BMW M5 (F90) Driven
- Thread starter TopspeedPT
- Start date
The BMW M5 is a high-performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports saloon category. The first M5 model was hand-built beginning in late 1984 on the E28 535i chassis with a modified engine from the M1 that made it the fastest production saloon at the time. M5 models have been produced for every generation of the 5 Series since 1984, with occasional gaps in production (1995 to 1998, 2023 to 2024). Official website: BMW M
Frankie G
Premium
Autocar UK out now. M5 vs E63 S vs CTS-V
If I get the issue at some point during the day, I'll try and put up the scans as soon as I can. That is unless someone else beats me to it.
Frankie G
Premium
I just breezed through Autocar's M5 road test in the issue out this week. Some snippets from the mag below..
On performance they said:
"Even when operating through a launch control system that struggled somewhat to put down 553lb ft (multiplied through the car’s lower gears, of course) onto wet tarmac through all four contact patches, the M5 was blisteringly fast. It recorded a quite staggering standing quarter mile time of 11.5sec on a thoroughly damp surface. In like-for-like conditions, that is 0.1sec quicker than a Mercedes-AMG GT R. It lops more than a second off the preceding M5’s pace and is barely half a second slower than a Ferrari 488 GTB was on a bone-dry day. Through the gears from 40mph to 80mph, the BMW is precisely as fast as the Porsche 911 Turbo S we tested in 2013."
It recorded a Dry Circuit handling time of 1:14.5 in damp conditions and 1:10.6 on the Wet Circuit. Test temperature was 8deg C.
NB. When they tested the F10 M5 back in the day, it recorded a 1:14.1 on the Dry Circuit but I'm not certain if track parameters have changed since.
Acceleration stats in mph on damp tarmac @8deg C:
0-30 1.5s
0-60 3.3s
0-100 7.5s
0-120 10.6s
0-150 17.8s
Standing quarter mile 11.5sec at 125.1mph
Standing km 20.8sec at 159.1mph
30-70mph 2.7sec
30-70mph in fourth 4.0sec
And in their final verdict they said:
"For anyone whose last drive in a four-wheel-drive performance car came a decade or so ago, the handling of the M5 will be little short of a revelation. Even after the likes of the Ford Focus RS, Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R, the M5’s agility, balance and playfulness seem remarkable for a car that can also offer all the traction and stability you’d expect of a two-tonne, four-wheel-drive super-saloon. The car’s outright damping authority and body control, meanwhile, are truly unequalled among its direct rivals.
So how could we deny it the ringing endorsement of a five-star score? Only because of a handful of shortcomings: slightly irksome steering weight, inconsistent brake pedal feel, that synthesised engine noise and an occasionally restless ride.
However, the M5 has a dynamic versatility and poise that no other rival can equal, and it goes straight to the top of our super-saloon rankings. If BMW M history is any guide, (think F10 M5 ‘30 Jahre’, F82 M4 CS and others), the very best version of this M5 may be yet to come – and when it does, it ought to be something very special indeed."
On performance they said:
"Even when operating through a launch control system that struggled somewhat to put down 553lb ft (multiplied through the car’s lower gears, of course) onto wet tarmac through all four contact patches, the M5 was blisteringly fast. It recorded a quite staggering standing quarter mile time of 11.5sec on a thoroughly damp surface. In like-for-like conditions, that is 0.1sec quicker than a Mercedes-AMG GT R. It lops more than a second off the preceding M5’s pace and is barely half a second slower than a Ferrari 488 GTB was on a bone-dry day. Through the gears from 40mph to 80mph, the BMW is precisely as fast as the Porsche 911 Turbo S we tested in 2013."
It recorded a Dry Circuit handling time of 1:14.5 in damp conditions and 1:10.6 on the Wet Circuit. Test temperature was 8deg C.
NB. When they tested the F10 M5 back in the day, it recorded a 1:14.1 on the Dry Circuit but I'm not certain if track parameters have changed since.
Acceleration stats in mph on damp tarmac @8deg C:
0-30 1.5s
0-60 3.3s
0-100 7.5s
0-120 10.6s
0-150 17.8s
Standing quarter mile 11.5sec at 125.1mph
Standing km 20.8sec at 159.1mph
30-70mph 2.7sec
30-70mph in fourth 4.0sec
And in their final verdict they said:
"For anyone whose last drive in a four-wheel-drive performance car came a decade or so ago, the handling of the M5 will be little short of a revelation. Even after the likes of the Ford Focus RS, Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R, the M5’s agility, balance and playfulness seem remarkable for a car that can also offer all the traction and stability you’d expect of a two-tonne, four-wheel-drive super-saloon. The car’s outright damping authority and body control, meanwhile, are truly unequalled among its direct rivals.
So how could we deny it the ringing endorsement of a five-star score? Only because of a handful of shortcomings: slightly irksome steering weight, inconsistent brake pedal feel, that synthesised engine noise and an occasionally restless ride.
However, the M5 has a dynamic versatility and poise that no other rival can equal, and it goes straight to the top of our super-saloon rankings. If BMW M history is any guide, (think F10 M5 ‘30 Jahre’, F82 M4 CS and others), the very best version of this M5 may be yet to come – and when it does, it ought to be something very special indeed."
hovabongZA
Tire Trailblazer
Car really sounded good .#BenchM5ark
Laurent T
Premium
A pity it was wet for the dry circuit...
Frankie G
Premium
What's it like living with a BMW M5?
Eight months living with a stupendously fast super saloon. Hint: it's wonderful
By Ollie Marriage
Drag racing
We recently did a drag race between the M5, Merc-AMG E63 S and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. It didn’t feature the lifer because it was away being fixed (I wrote about it last time and so far no repeats). If you want a surprise, watch the film online before you read any further.
Done that? Good. The M5 walloped ‘em. Least powerful but lightest, it also possesses the most phenomenal launch control – when it works. Sometimes it will engage, sometimes it won’t. I suspect the system gets hot after a few runs, and then removes the temptation from you. So fast was it that we redid the figures when our car came back. And yep, the result wasn’t a fluke – it managed a two-way average of 2.99secs to 60 mph. So that’s a full-size saloon that seats five, has a 505-litre boot, massage seats and kick-ass stereo getting to 60 mph in under three seconds. That’s nuts. The fastest super saloon ever, surely?
Tesla
And then we remembered the Tesla P100D. It’s not a sports car, it’s pretty dull to drive in fact, but it is outrageously fast. You can compare the figures here. Only at high speed does the M5 regain the upper hand.
M5 Tesla
10 0.41 0.45
20 0.85 0.83
30 1.31 1.21
40 1.82 1.59
50 2.37 2.06
60 2.99 2.68
70 3.74 3.40
80 4.63 4.22
90 5.67 5.19
100 6.77 6.46
110 8.06 8.01
120 9.49 9.97
¼ mile 11.10s/128.9mph 11.08s/124.0mph
Brakes
And under braking. The £7,495 ceramics might be way too grabby in daily driving, but they stop the car from 100mph in just 81.23 metres – that’s less distance than a 911 Turbo S (81.88m). The Tesla takes longer to stop than a Mercedes G-Class. Not even kidding. 96.23m plays 95.39m. Anyhow, the M5’s brakes deliver massive back country confidence and for that I’ll forgive the fact that if you so much as think of the pedal in town the M5 attempts a nose stand.
Engine is a masterpiece
The more time I’ve spent with the M5 – over 12,000 miles now – the more I’ve become convinced the powertrain is a masterpiece. Yes, it had the fuel pump issue earlier on and even after a gentle motorway run home the heat it needs to get rid of is astonishing. The fans run for ages and if you’re carrying a passenger they are subjected to a blast of heat soak from underneath when they open the door. Blame the need to get the cats super-hot to reduce emissions and meet regulations (still, it’s not something other super saloons do). Also, the first gearshift of the morning can be a bit sudden and the Merc E63 makes a better noise. Sad to say, but it does – more volume, more intensity, more raucousness.
However, for effortless speed, rampant torque and peerless gearbox integration, the M5’s 4.4-litre twin turbo and eight-speed auto is unbeatable. It makes the whole car feel massively forceful. It digs deep at 1,000rpm, makes a mockery of turbo lag and simply hurls itself onwards. If only it was a bit noisier inside. It also takes the sting out of driving. It’s so undemanding in town it could be a 520d and, if you go gently, you’ll top 30mpg on a long haul. 27 is probably a better indication, and overall mixed driving yields about 22-23 mpg. Or 13 if you get carried away.
Up against the Alpina B5: part 1
But is it the best fast BMW? After all, what do you actually want, if you’re buying a super saloon – speed alone, or speed and handling? This is a question you’d do well to ask yourself before deciding the BMW M5 is the car for you. Now personally I think BMW has got the M5 bang on this time – I like the underlying positivity of the ride as a reminder this is no run-of-the-mill motor – but I’d understand if you wanted something more… effortless.
At which point I’ll introduce the Alpina B5. At £89,000 it’s pretty much identical money to the M5, and although it’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 has humbler originals (it’s not a modified S63 M5 engine, but a tuned N63 unit), Alpina has wound it up to a point where it actually develops 9bhp and 37 lb ft more than the M5. It’s 160 kg heavier, so not quite such an impressive sprinter (60mph in 3.39secs, 100 in 7.48), but it does get to play the derestricted trump card: a 205mph top end.
I imagine it must be just the ticket for the autobahn, but in the UK best read that as just the speeding ticket – surreptitious speed is the B5’s thing, it’s always trying to snaffle a few extra mph on to the speedo. And you don’t notice because the ride is so serene, the air passing over the bodywork so quietly dealt with. It doesn’t do anything so uncouth as popping and banging on the overrun and although there’s a big difference if you switch from Comfort to Sport, body control isn’t in the M5 league.
Up against the Alpina B5 part 2
While the Alpina pampers you, the M5 nudges you, reminding you that it’s actually quite super and would like to be doing super things. Its seats give you a tighter squeeze, the red M buttons are directly in your eyeline, the suspension communicates, the throttle bites. It’s a more overt sports car than the B5 – or the comparatively portly previous M5 for that matter.
I’d have M5 over B5. Not everyone here would, some preferring the Alpina’s more understated, exclusive approach. For me, though, there’s one crucial reason why you might have the B5 instead: it’s also available as an estate.
RWD
Here’s the M5 in rear-wheel drive mode. Getting to this setting involves maximising the schportiness of every control and then disabling the stability system completely. But that’s not the reason I haven’t used it that much, not least because you can – and I did – have it set-up on the steering as a default M-button mode for a while.
But I don’t any more because it was just bananas. Now, I love rear-drive cars, but let’s be pragmatic for a second. When you’re talking about a 600bhp, two-tonne super saloon, 4wd is transformative. Yes, I love the indulgence of having a secret rear-drive mode. But for one thing. Why can you only have throttle-steer mode with everything off? I’m guessing BMW sees it as a drift mode, to be indulged when you’re at that empty airfield you’re always going to. But I like to use rear-drive on the road, to see how it feels, what difference it makes. And I’d rather do that with some form of traction control on.
Sometimes I let it off the leash anyway, but as you can see here, it’s a wild ride. The M5 feels very big, very quickly when it lets go. Which it does abruptly, and for sustained periods. Once those back wheels overcome their adhesion, 516 lb ft ensures it’s not regained for long enough to be very unsettling. Owners: bet you’ve tried it once and never again, right? I’ve used it far less than those who know me well might imagine.
Head up display
Bugbear time. I’m not a fan of head up displays. Give me a set of proper, clear clocks any time. But the M5s dash has too much going on to be easily read (it’s a common issue these days), so I need the head up display for speed, gear and revs. But the rev bar sits too high in the screen. And that centimetre of extra height makes a big difference to forward visibility. And if I drop the display down the speed disappears off the bottom.
Rear seat space
And another. The front seats are superb. If you’re sitting in them. If you’re behind them however, they do a bang on job of dominating your view forward, replacing light with black plastic. Those in the back often complain they feel hemmed in and how dark it seems. And this in a car with pale grey Silverstone leather.
Surround view
This has been a source of constant amusement in the office. Using the on-board surround view cameras, the BMW phone app now lets you have a look around the car in real time. So if one of your colleagues has borrowed the car for the weekend, you can freak them out by sending them pictures, criticising their parking and so on. Highly helpful.
People Just Do Nothing part 1
The chaps from Kurupt FM popped down to the TG test track recently. The M5 was roped in for Decoy to drive, filled with enough cameras to make seeing where he was going very difficult indeed. He normally drives a MkIII Golf GTI. 600bhp took a bit of getting used to.
People Just Do Nothing part 2
So we got our own handy driver to show them how it was done.
What's it like living with a BMW M5?
Eight months living with a stupendously fast super saloon. Hint: it's wonderful
By Ollie Marriage
Drag racing
We recently did a drag race between the M5, Merc-AMG E63 S and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. It didn’t feature the lifer because it was away being fixed (I wrote about it last time and so far no repeats). If you want a surprise, watch the film online before you read any further.
Done that? Good. The M5 walloped ‘em. Least powerful but lightest, it also possesses the most phenomenal launch control – when it works. Sometimes it will engage, sometimes it won’t. I suspect the system gets hot after a few runs, and then removes the temptation from you. So fast was it that we redid the figures when our car came back. And yep, the result wasn’t a fluke – it managed a two-way average of 2.99secs to 60 mph. So that’s a full-size saloon that seats five, has a 505-litre boot, massage seats and kick-ass stereo getting to 60 mph in under three seconds. That’s nuts. The fastest super saloon ever, surely?
Tesla
And then we remembered the Tesla P100D. It’s not a sports car, it’s pretty dull to drive in fact, but it is outrageously fast. You can compare the figures here. Only at high speed does the M5 regain the upper hand.
M5 Tesla
10 0.41 0.45
20 0.85 0.83
30 1.31 1.21
40 1.82 1.59
50 2.37 2.06
60 2.99 2.68
70 3.74 3.40
80 4.63 4.22
90 5.67 5.19
100 6.77 6.46
110 8.06 8.01
120 9.49 9.97
¼ mile 11.10s/128.9mph 11.08s/124.0mph
Brakes
And under braking. The £7,495 ceramics might be way too grabby in daily driving, but they stop the car from 100mph in just 81.23 metres – that’s less distance than a 911 Turbo S (81.88m). The Tesla takes longer to stop than a Mercedes G-Class. Not even kidding. 96.23m plays 95.39m. Anyhow, the M5’s brakes deliver massive back country confidence and for that I’ll forgive the fact that if you so much as think of the pedal in town the M5 attempts a nose stand.
Engine is a masterpiece
The more time I’ve spent with the M5 – over 12,000 miles now – the more I’ve become convinced the powertrain is a masterpiece. Yes, it had the fuel pump issue earlier on and even after a gentle motorway run home the heat it needs to get rid of is astonishing. The fans run for ages and if you’re carrying a passenger they are subjected to a blast of heat soak from underneath when they open the door. Blame the need to get the cats super-hot to reduce emissions and meet regulations (still, it’s not something other super saloons do). Also, the first gearshift of the morning can be a bit sudden and the Merc E63 makes a better noise. Sad to say, but it does – more volume, more intensity, more raucousness.
However, for effortless speed, rampant torque and peerless gearbox integration, the M5’s 4.4-litre twin turbo and eight-speed auto is unbeatable. It makes the whole car feel massively forceful. It digs deep at 1,000rpm, makes a mockery of turbo lag and simply hurls itself onwards. If only it was a bit noisier inside. It also takes the sting out of driving. It’s so undemanding in town it could be a 520d and, if you go gently, you’ll top 30mpg on a long haul. 27 is probably a better indication, and overall mixed driving yields about 22-23 mpg. Or 13 if you get carried away.
Up against the Alpina B5: part 1
But is it the best fast BMW? After all, what do you actually want, if you’re buying a super saloon – speed alone, or speed and handling? This is a question you’d do well to ask yourself before deciding the BMW M5 is the car for you. Now personally I think BMW has got the M5 bang on this time – I like the underlying positivity of the ride as a reminder this is no run-of-the-mill motor – but I’d understand if you wanted something more… effortless.
At which point I’ll introduce the Alpina B5. At £89,000 it’s pretty much identical money to the M5, and although it’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 has humbler originals (it’s not a modified S63 M5 engine, but a tuned N63 unit), Alpina has wound it up to a point where it actually develops 9bhp and 37 lb ft more than the M5. It’s 160 kg heavier, so not quite such an impressive sprinter (60mph in 3.39secs, 100 in 7.48), but it does get to play the derestricted trump card: a 205mph top end.
I imagine it must be just the ticket for the autobahn, but in the UK best read that as just the speeding ticket – surreptitious speed is the B5’s thing, it’s always trying to snaffle a few extra mph on to the speedo. And you don’t notice because the ride is so serene, the air passing over the bodywork so quietly dealt with. It doesn’t do anything so uncouth as popping and banging on the overrun and although there’s a big difference if you switch from Comfort to Sport, body control isn’t in the M5 league.
Up against the Alpina B5 part 2
While the Alpina pampers you, the M5 nudges you, reminding you that it’s actually quite super and would like to be doing super things. Its seats give you a tighter squeeze, the red M buttons are directly in your eyeline, the suspension communicates, the throttle bites. It’s a more overt sports car than the B5 – or the comparatively portly previous M5 for that matter.
I’d have M5 over B5. Not everyone here would, some preferring the Alpina’s more understated, exclusive approach. For me, though, there’s one crucial reason why you might have the B5 instead: it’s also available as an estate.
RWD
Here’s the M5 in rear-wheel drive mode. Getting to this setting involves maximising the schportiness of every control and then disabling the stability system completely. But that’s not the reason I haven’t used it that much, not least because you can – and I did – have it set-up on the steering as a default M-button mode for a while.
But I don’t any more because it was just bananas. Now, I love rear-drive cars, but let’s be pragmatic for a second. When you’re talking about a 600bhp, two-tonne super saloon, 4wd is transformative. Yes, I love the indulgence of having a secret rear-drive mode. But for one thing. Why can you only have throttle-steer mode with everything off? I’m guessing BMW sees it as a drift mode, to be indulged when you’re at that empty airfield you’re always going to. But I like to use rear-drive on the road, to see how it feels, what difference it makes. And I’d rather do that with some form of traction control on.
Sometimes I let it off the leash anyway, but as you can see here, it’s a wild ride. The M5 feels very big, very quickly when it lets go. Which it does abruptly, and for sustained periods. Once those back wheels overcome their adhesion, 516 lb ft ensures it’s not regained for long enough to be very unsettling. Owners: bet you’ve tried it once and never again, right? I’ve used it far less than those who know me well might imagine.
Head up display
Bugbear time. I’m not a fan of head up displays. Give me a set of proper, clear clocks any time. But the M5s dash has too much going on to be easily read (it’s a common issue these days), so I need the head up display for speed, gear and revs. But the rev bar sits too high in the screen. And that centimetre of extra height makes a big difference to forward visibility. And if I drop the display down the speed disappears off the bottom.
Rear seat space
And another. The front seats are superb. If you’re sitting in them. If you’re behind them however, they do a bang on job of dominating your view forward, replacing light with black plastic. Those in the back often complain they feel hemmed in and how dark it seems. And this in a car with pale grey Silverstone leather.
Surround view
This has been a source of constant amusement in the office. Using the on-board surround view cameras, the BMW phone app now lets you have a look around the car in real time. So if one of your colleagues has borrowed the car for the weekend, you can freak them out by sending them pictures, criticising their parking and so on. Highly helpful.
People Just Do Nothing part 1
The chaps from Kurupt FM popped down to the TG test track recently. The M5 was roped in for Decoy to drive, filled with enough cameras to make seeing where he was going very difficult indeed. He normally drives a MkIII Golf GTI. 600bhp took a bit of getting used to.
People Just Do Nothing part 2
So we got our own handy driver to show them how it was done.
What's it like living with a BMW M5?
hovabongZA
Tire Trailblazer
Simply the best super saloon.
martinbo
Staff member
All things considered, and I do mean all, I too feel that the F90 M5 is the yardstick for large performance saloons. I suppose it comes from a perspective of whether you "get" BMW M or not but as a whole, the M5 is a very complete all-rounder.
hovabongZA
Tire Trailblazer
Couldn’t have put it better, you’d have a hard time arguing against that. This generation of M5 has reminded us of why (I have to say it
) it is the benchM5ark.
hovabongZA
Tire Trailblazer
klier
Premium
There is no doubt, just some fanboys in denial.
Particularly fond of Porsche getting desteroyed with it's Panamera.
Similar threads
BMW M
BMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of
BMW AG that manufactures high-performance luxury cars. BMW M ("M" for "motorsport")
was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful
in the 1960s and 1970s. As time passed, BMW M began to supplement BMW's vehicle
portfolio with specially modified higher trim models, for which they are now most
known by the general public. These M-badged cars traditionally include modified engines,
transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications
to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at BMW's
private facility at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.
Official website: BMW M
Official website: BMW M
