After getting acquainted with the technical specifications of the new BMW M5, we were sure that this car would not disappoint. But reality exceeded even the boldest forecasts.
This is simply unbearable: you finally get behind the wheel of a fresh "M car", and instead of enjoying the power, you are stuck in a traffic jam! The brilliant dream of high-speed highways is not moving. Damn road repair! But the traffic gradually clears. I watch the sign lifting the speed limit. I switch the gearbox to manual mode. I stiffen the dampers to the maximum. I turn on the turn signal and pull out into the empty left lane. Pedal to the floor. Finally!
One, two, three, four — the left paddle shift counts down the downshifts, seventh gear gives way to third, and the tachometer needle flies toward the red zone. The V10 howls like a true demon, unleashing a huge portion of torque, which is instantly absorbed by the rear differential. With a piercing scream, the car lunges forward. Here it is, the M5 acceleration. Explosive, untamable, insane. It acts like the strongest drug — you want to repeat it again and again.
There is only one digit in the name of this car, but in reality, the M5 consists of many numbers — large and not so large. The large ones are 4999 cubic centimeters of displacement, a maximum of 8250 crankshaft revolutions per minute, more than 100 horsepower per liter of displacement, and 1890 kilograms of curb weight. The small ones are 4.7 seconds to 100 km/h, 7 transmission gears, 65 milliseconds per gear change, three damper modes, and a Power button, without pressing which you have only 400 horsepower at your disposal instead of the required 507.
The fourth generation M5 is not just a predictable evolution of the model, but a real technological leap worthy of Olympic gold. Against its background, the previous "M car" looks like a silicon musket next to a homing missile. The new engine is only a kilogram heavier than the old V8, although it received two additional cylinders (plus 58 "cubes" of displacement) and develops the already mentioned 507 horsepower — 25 percent more than the "eight". Munich engineers achieved this by applying experience from creating "Formula" engines. Even the sound of the M5 unit reminds of this — it is almost indistinguishable from the voice of the BMW WilliamsF1 cars!
Under the hood — a dual-flow stainless steel exhaust system, 4 oil pumps (they guarantee lubrication even under extreme loads), ionic knock control via spark plugs, stepless variable valve timing bi-Vanos, individual throttle valves with their own electric drives on each cylinder, and, of course, the most powerful engine management system BMW has ever created.
The M5 superbrain performs 250 million calculations per second, and each one is subordinated to a single goal — speed. This is an incredibly fast car. So fast that it can wipe the nose of some mid-engined supercar. Moreover, for this, you don't need to climb to the peak of torque — the maximum 520 Nm is available at 6100 rpm, but already at 3500 rpm the engine delivers 450 Nm, and 80 percent of the peak torque is available in a wide range up to 5500 rpm. Just press the gas, and acceleration, like an avalanche, crashes down and carries you forward on any of the seven gears of SMG.
The sequential manual with electro-hydraulic drive can work in automatic and manual modes (shifting can be done both by rocking the lever and by paddle shifters) and is equipped with the Drivelogic function. In both modes, gear changes occur clearly and quickly — noticeably faster than on a regular manual. But in "automatic", you lose part of the driving pleasure, so it is more logical to use it in the city, and on the track switch to "manual". Drivelogic offers 11 shift speed profiles — six for manual mode and five for automatic, so the gearbox can be tuned both for lazy Sunday driving and for a racing style.
SMG not only unlocks the engine's potential — it helps the driver in difficult situations. On a slippery road during downshifts, the transmission instantly disengages the clutch to avoid provoking a skid due to sudden engine braking. In the mountains, SMG adjusts shift points, avoiding endless "up-down" jumps on long climbs and holding low gears on descents for maximum use of engine braking. The gearbox even helps start on an incline, preventing the car from rolling back.
The "M car" reaches 100 km/h in less than five seconds, and 200 km/h in just over fifteen. Want a spectacular start with wheelspin? Please! With traction control off, the car smokes the tires even in third gear. But to avoid burning expensive Continental Sport Contact tires, created specifically for the M5, it is better to use Launch Control — it will ensure the most effective start. Turn off DSC, push the gear lever forward and hold it. Press the gas: the tachometer freezes around 4000 rpm. Release the lever — and the car accelerates with optimal wheelspin. Up to the limiter at 250 km/h, SMG itself shifts through all seven gears, engaging the next gear right before the red zone.
If you need to stop sharply, the M5 will handle that too. Composite brake discs dissipate speed as effectively as the engine builds it. The M5's control resembles a racing simulator: press the right pedal — accelerate rapidly, press the left — decelerate rapidly. A full stop from 100 km/h takes only 36 meters, and from 200 km/h — 140. The brakes inspire incredible confidence: the pedal effort is perfectly selected, deceleration is easy to dose, and the ABS activation moment is felt perfectly.
But the M5 is not only phenomenal dynamics, but also a corresponding appearance. The aggressive look of the "M car" is given by 19-inch 10-spoke wheels in widened arches, aerodynamic sills, teardrop mirrors, four exhaust tips, "gills" on the front fenders, and a huge air intake, whose toothless smile in the rearview mirror makes you shiver.
At the base of the chassis is a reinforced aluminum suspension from the standard "five" with adapted kinematics. There is also electronic damper stiffness control EDC and adaptive power steering Servotronic. The firmware of the DSC dynamic stability system includes a special program that allows cornering in controlled drifts and intervenes only at a critical moment. The picture is complemented by a rear differential with adjustable locking. When one of the drive wheels starts to slip, the built-in pump more actively supplies viscous silicone oil to the multi-disc clutch, increasing the degree of locking. The smaller the difference in wheel speeds, the lower the pump pressure and, accordingly, the weaker the lock.
To bring all electronic settings together, the M5 received the MDrive system. After starting the engine, you get a car with standard parameters, but pressing a button on the steering wheel — and the "magic genie" MDrive increases power, disables traction control, stiffens the suspension, and selects the desired gearbox mode. In short, it squeezes everything out of the car.
Excellent chassis with ideal weight distribution across the axles allows entering corners at very high speed without fear of losing control. And on a flat autobahn, the M5 rushes like a locomotive with a jet engine. Excellent directional stability once again confirmed: this car is created not only for spectacular cornering, but also for long high-speed marches.
And what about competitors? There is a nuance here. After getting acquainted with the new M5, such familiar rivals as the Audi RS6 and Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG begin to seem not lively enough and do not give the emotions that the "M car" is capable of. In terms of dynamics and drive, the Porsche Carrera S can argue with it, but you won't be able to load as much luggage and seat as many passengers in a sports car as in the BMW. The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti with its excellent ride qualities and fairly spacious body could compete on equal terms with the M5, but the price puts everything in its place.
The new BMW M5 is, perhaps, the most impressive and balanced car in its class. Sharp steering responses, a powerful engine, a transmission shifting at machine-gun speed, tenacious brakes, and a superbly tuned suspension, plus the ability to combine these settings yourself thanks to the MDrive system. The "M car" is not just a fast sedan, but a kind of bridge between a powerful four-door and a racing supercar, which can give the driver more than each of these cars individually.
Technical specifications of BMW M5
Body — sedan
Number of seats — 5
Curb weight, kg — 1830
Gross weight, kg — 2300
Dimensions, mm:
- length — 4855
- width — 1846
- height — 1469
Wheelbase, mm — 2889
Trunk volume, l — 500
Maximum speed, km/h — 250*
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, s — 4.7
Fuel consumption, l/100 km:
- urban cycle — 22.7
- suburban — 10.2
- combined — 14.8
Engine:
- type — petrol, V10
- displacement, cm3 — 4999
- power, hp at min-1 — 507
- torque, Nm at min-1 — 520/6100
Transmission — 7-speed, SMG III
Tire size (front; rear) — 255/40R19; 285/35R19
Suspension:
- front — double wishbone
- rear — multi-link
Brakes:
- front — disc, ventilated
- rear — disc
Steering — rack and pinion, with power steering and Servotronic
Price (in Germany), euros — from 86,200
* — Electronically limited.
© 5 Koleso