Since you guys like the BMW 325i vs the C280 comparison from Wheels, I will post more reviews from Wheels in the future. Hope this is not a repost.
Wheels - Kaiser chiefs - BMW M5 vs Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG vs Audi S6
FromThe volume is up in the German super-sedan club. It's all heavy metal power chords, understated dress and bulk speed. Rock on
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WHEN the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Audi S6 come to town, the ground shakes, birds go silent, people stare, small boys drool. And no wonder. These fire-breathing hooligans are among the most powerful production supersedans on the planet; high-adrenalin horizon-busters that could, were it not for speed-limiter intervention, strut to over 300km/h.
Yet, because the menace of their vitals is overlaid with technological marvels, they also deliver hedonistic luxury for four adults. And performance that, until now, only came with two doors and overkill wings.
What sets apart this latest generation in the Deutschland title fight is a decisive break in genealogy. In the past, by exploiting superchargers and turbochargers, Mercedes-Benz and Audi adapted high-volume engines to suit the need for Herculean performance. BMW’s M Division went closest to developing specific high-revving engines for the M5 (and M3), but even these were closely related to high-volume units. For this new breed of four-door sauerkrauts, however, the status quo is turned on its head. Our trio come with a variety of exotic and/or bespoke powerplants that raise the bar so high I can hear you asking: when will the German power race reach its peak?
Munich was first to shatter the establishment, the all-new fourth-generation M5 launching the world’s first sedan-specific production V10. The ferocious V10 owes nothing to BMW’s existing engines. BMW claims the powerhouse draws inspiration from its V10 F1 engine technology and experience – the crankcase and cylinder heads are cast in the same foundry – and the stats ooze racing: 373kW from just 5.0-litres of super-short stroke engine, 8250rpm redline and a torque peak of 520Nm at 6100rpm. It’s all driven via a seven-speed sequential paddleshift gearbox that permits manual and automatic gear selection through a staggering 11 gearbox programmes, and includes a launch control for a theoretically perfect standing start. Yes, the M5 is a complex animal that demands concentration and a nerd-like skill to configure its iDrive. Don’t expect to strap yourself behind the wheel and immediately play master of the universe.
AMG’s response, an all-new 6.2-litre (the 6.3-litre badge is a misguided tribute to the legendary 300 SEL 6.3 of the late 1960s), broke the shackles imposed by Mercedes-Benz. For the first time, the AMG engineers started from a clean sheet and created a big-capacity, normally-aspirated V8 that inherits nothing from the existing Mercedes engine range. It features high-strength silicon aluminium construction, and relies on both revs and sheer capacity to match the more focused BMW V10. The upshot is 378kW at 6800rpm, a 7000rpm redline and 630Nm at 5200rpm (with 500Nm from just 2000rpm), numbers that allow AMG to drop the Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic behind the engine, impossible on the even more torquey (720Nm), and dramatically different, supercharged V8 that still powers the five-speed SL55.
Audi, having largely developed the Lamborghini V10 that sits amidships in the Gallardo, always planned to nestle a detuned, direct-injection version of the engine between the front wheels of the A6 to fashion the new S6. Audi’s 5.2-litre V10, a big-bore variant (effectively the current 4.2-litre V8 with an extra couple of cylinders) of Lambo’s 5.0-litre, generates more torque at lower revs – 540Nm at 3000rpm, compared to 510Nm at 4250rpm – but maximum output drops from the Gallardo’s 382kW at 8000rpm to 320kW at 6800rpm in the six-speed automatic-only S6. Still, that usefully outguns Australia’s most powerful sedan – the 307kW HSV E-Series – but leaves the S6 somewhat below the heavy-hitting M5 and E63.
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Audi being Audi, the S6 is an all-wheel-drive derivative of the front-drive A6. The quattro drivetrain is a real bonus in slippery conditions (which leave the M5 and E63 slithering, their stability controls struggling to maintain traction), but it also, unavoidably, contributes to extra bulk that seriously blunts the Audi challenge. At 1910kg, the slightly longer and wider S6 is 155kg heavier than the M5, and 145kg over the E63. The S6’s resulting 168kW per tonne power-to-weight ratio can’t hope to compete with the 213kW/tonne of the BMW or 214kW/tonne of the Mercedes. To fully grasp the blitzing significance of these numbers, an HSV E-Series delivers 166kW/tonne; a Porsche 911 Carrera a mere 171kW/tonne.
In isolation, the S6 is swift enough, though it never really feels V10-quick. But the aural appeal of the effortless V10 is irresistible as the exhaust’s hard edge grows towards the 7000rpm change-up. From inside, neither the M5 nor the E63 matches the purity of the Audi’s urgent sound, or their transmissions rival the fluency of the S6, whether using the paddleshift, Drive, Sports mode (that is tuned to select one ratio lower), or the selector. Too much choice? Probably.
Yet the combination of that extra mass, all-wheel drive, sticky 235/35 R19 rubber and an electronic differential lock conspire to reduce the Audi’s effectiveness as a sports sedan. Think of the S6 as a Q-car cruiser rather than a true rival for the admittedly $30K-dearer BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Audi is so well planted, the electronics so inhibiting, that no matter what we tried, it proved impossible to prevent the drivetrain bogging down from a standing start. Wheelspin? No way. The S6 casually pauses before breaking into a sweat, the tedious 4.2 seconds to hit 60km/h is 1.4sec slower than the E63, 1.6sec behind the M5. Once on song, the S6 lifts its game, though it never threatens the supremacy of the BMW or Mercedes. Only in terms of light throttle responsiveness is the Audi V10 superior, the transmission sliding into lower ratios more cleanly than the others.
In this company, the S6’s sedate manners are never going to appeal to buyers of the E63 or, especially, the M5. The elegant Audi may get 19-inch alloys under mildly flared wheelarches, but it is more subdued and less muscular than its rivals. More to the point, this is yet another Audi that is out of sorts on Australian roads. The ride is brittle, picking up every irregularity in the road surface that not even the terrific bucket seats can mask, and the body occasionally creaks and moans in protest over potholes and bumps. The tautly sprung M5 has a more supple and better-controlled ride, while the E63’s composure and comfort makes the S6 feel fidgety, stiff-legged and coarse on anything less than perfect blacktop. Even here, more road and tyre noise is fed into the cabin to further compromise refinement, the occupants constantly being made aware of any changes in road surface.
The engineers have given the speed-sensitive rack-andpinion steering a quick ratio, with only 2.5 turns, but the steering is too light and lacks any true feel. A typical Audi vagueness around the straight ahead detracts from the anticipated agility, yet the steering also conspires to kick back over irregularities and demands more lock through any given corner than its competitors. Grip is never an issue – far from it, the back end feels permanently connected – but the nose pushes wide into understeer. In theory, the self-locking central diff, which normally sends 60 percent of the power to the rear wheels (in extremes it can divert a maximum 85 percent to the back axles) is intended to promote a perception of rear drive for nimble steering turn-in. That’s the theory. On Australians roads the S6 feels restless, uneasy and simply does not want to change direction without arguing the toss with the driver. The brakes, too, are a class below the M5 and E63. Pedal travel is long, the braking point often indistinct and the servo-assistance hard to modulate.
In contrast, the cabin is calming, a relaxing place to be, at least as a passenger when speeds are moderate. The S6 has more room than its rivals, the cockpit is exquisitely detailed and the driving position covers all sizes, once we learned how to access the full range of power-operated steering wheel adjustment. Ergonomically, the S6 sets the pace.
But not, as a glance at the performance figures reveals, on the road. The E63 runs the M5 close in terms of outright acceleration, but for all the intensity of its grunt, the character of the AMG is altogether more relaxed and less demanding than the BMW. You can jump into the E63, turn the key, engage Drive and meander gently into the traffic. This is easily the most suitable car to drive in town of the three, the obvious choice for a calming two-hour Friday night belt to the Southern Highlands hobby farm or Portsea holiday home.
Yet, warp speeds are a laid-back prod of the throttle away. Accessing the mighty bent-eight’s enormous reserves demands no special skill, no worrying about matching the ideal ratio to the precise rpm for peak torque. The E63 snaps down into the right gear instantly to release what can – on damp roads, for example – seem an excess of mid-range power. Tacho needle hurling towards the 7000rpm redline, V8 bellowing, driver using the wheel for support (yet still shoved back into the bucket), ESP light inevitably flashing, AMG’s latest surges forward. Reduce ESP intrusion, and the E63 allows a reasonable degree of power oversteer. What makes this car special is the way thrilling acceleration is sustained to 250km/h, at which point the electronics declare ‘enough’, despite the ultratall gearing permitting this speed in the top three ratios.
The instantaneous-from-idle ferocity of the supercharged 5.4-litre engine from the predecessor E55 hot-rod has been replaced by a more fluent, smoother character with a greater fondness for higher revs. Yet, there is so much torque across so wide a breadth that, in the interests of protecting the driveshaft couplings and improving tyre life, first-to-second gear shifts are limited to 6200rpm, rather than the 7000rpm of the next few ratio swaps. In the Mercedes, there is less reason to play with the auto tranny paddles, though in Sport mode some smoothness is traded for quicker shifting – and the driver never really feels in control of the shift points, even when in the Manual mode that permits the engine to run to the 7400rpm cutout. Comfort mode is a sensible choice in stop-start traffic.
If the E63 is less tactile and heavier than the M5, it also has a nimbleness of handling and a sumptuous ride comfort that are utterly beyond the S6. Air suspension and variable damping offer true suppleness, with precise control of the rate of body roll. Yes, the Mercedes leans into corners, but it also changes direction without wallowing or upsetting the chassis composure. Where the E63 disappoints is in the steering. The latest model inherits the faster rack of the CLS, which is good, but the weighting of the speed-sensitive power assistance is inconsistent – and not because that was the engineers’ intentions. If a loaded front wheel hits an irregularity mid-corner, the steering loads up unnaturally, demanding strong biceps if it’s not to upset the driver’s line through the corner. This, plus a hint of rack-rattle and a sometimes alarming degree of kickback, combine to encourage a point-and-squirt driving style on local roads. Persist, however, and you’ll find the E63 is surprisingly chuckable. The composite front brakes squeal at low speeds when cold, but perform brilliantly when the chips are down.
The interior is more intimate, richer and cosier than the S6 or the M5, yet there is little to distinguish the AMG’s interior from any Avantgarde E-Class. Fully supportive buckets provide all the anticipated comfort, but the relationship between seat, steering wheel and pedals is awkwardly offset, a fault that is only true of right-handdrive E-Class models. While the E63 destroys conventional effort-versus-speed equations, it is hard to image spending track days in the AMG. No, this car’s natural milieu is Germany’s unrestricted autobahns. Nothing (especially if your dealer has de-programmed the speed limiter, as most European buyers insist) cruises with the same effortless contempt for distance. Not even the BMW.
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It’s all too easy to hate the M5 around town, when the ’box is jerky or s-l-o-w or both, the auto mode attempts to use top gear at every opportunity over 50km/h, and three-point turns on any slope are an exercise in frustration. If your experience in the BMW is so limited, you cannot hope to understand why the mighty M5 wins this comparison. One defiant, headlong rush down the challenging Oxley Highway – a certainty on any short list of Australia’s best driving roads – from Walcha to Wauchope, gives Munich’s best over 150km first to intrigue, then engage and, finally, mesmerise the driver.
Of this trio, only the M5 feels made to order as a no-compromises sports sedan, so rewarding and capable that you just know M Division’s engineers have focused on each ingredient that contributes to its dynamics and performance. For all their mechanical disparity, the S6 and the E63 clearly belong to their respective model families. Not the M5. Its relationship with the other 5 Series versions is almost coincidental. Should, then, we be surprised that the M5 confirms our scepticism of recent BMW technology ‘advances’ – specifically, run-flat tyres, Dynamic Drive electronically controlled anti-roll bars, and active steering? None features in the M5, which has the best steering of any current 5 Series and, despite the firm and superbly controlled suspension, the best ride/handling balance.
The iPod generation will no doubt be excited by the ability to reconfigure iDrive – to allow fine-tuning of gearbox, dampers, stability system and even engine output and throttle sensitivity – while the rest of us will struggle and wonder why any car needs such a ludicrous degree of complication. Fortunately, beneath all the electronic wizardry is a brilliantly crafted and straightforward chassis mated to a titanic engine. Fortunately, too, the driver can retain favourite settings via the steering wheel’s M button, including the indispensable heads-up speedo display.
Yes, the M5 is easily the most sporting sedan here, the only contender that truly engages the driver and seems to shrink the faster the car is pushed. Only on the BMW is the steering behaviour a model of consistency in feel, weight and accuracy, with an immediacy of turn-in that inspires confidence, yet is also relaxed at autobahn speeds. The body stays flat, its damping beautifully judged in Comfort mode, its ride better controlled and the handling more surefooted and better balanced than the E63 or S6.
Of course, the M5 is also ridiculously powerful, the V10 almost startlingly brutal in its ability to thump into the tacho’s red zone – induction and exhaust attacking every sensitivity – and so fast, speeds are often inappropriate. That such a sharply focused engine still starts in second gear in Auto, and can amble around at 2000rpm in fifth, is remarkable. Failings, beyond iDrive (and the June facelift will simplify its operation), are few. Most seriously, the 70-litre tank and V10’s thirst deliver an absurdly short range for a supercar of this latent touring ability. Time to shut down, feel the enormous heat-soak rise up from under each car, and contemplate their relative merits. The S6, winner of similar comparisons in America, is too compromised by Australian conditions to finish anywhere but third. It feels so lacklustre you have to ask what benefits it brings over the near $50K cheaper A6 4.2 Quattro. Bring on the RS6. The E63 is more than a one-dimensional missile – the ease of its acceleration so addictive, one of our testers preferred it even to the M5 – but the steering flaws and heaviness of its controls are a let-down. Accept that you need to work harder in the BMW, and the rewards are so compelling and inspired that the M5 is a clear winner.
Wheels - Kaiser chiefs - BMW M5 vs Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG vs Audi S6
but honestly, the E63 takes the cake in terms of looks in this company.
