QikNish said:
Impressive... We neee a comparison between this and the current generation E63S.
E63S figures from same mag:
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.0 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 11.9 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 16.6 sec
Zero to 170 mph: 23.3 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 3.9 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 2.3 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 2.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.1 sec @ 126 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr's claim): 186 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 155 ft
Verdict from the Review:
In the Game
While the numbers are shocking, the new M5 has more going for it than numbers. There’s a closer connection with the driver in this M5, one that isn’t as overtly filtered through silicon chips and electronics. It’s more amusing and less robotic than its predecessor. Unlike so many BMWs of late, the steering is lively and has some actual feedback. At the track, the M5 put up 0.98 g on the skidpad, and the front tires chatter and protest as they try to fight off understeer. It’s a different story on the road, where the chassis exhibits balanced, lively, and secure handling that gives the impression that the M5 is smaller than it is. There’s joy again in hustling the M5. You’re in the game—and not just a spectator to a 21st-century display of technology.
Even with the roughly 150-pound penalty of all-wheel drive, the new M5 weighs in at 4288 pounds—which sounds like a lot, but that’s 110 pounds lighter than the most recent previous-gen M5 we tested (which had a manual) and 299 less than the E63 S. In addition to a carbon-fiber roof panel and a lithium-ion battery, the new 5-series platform uses more weight-saving aluminum than before. Fifty-one of those saved pounds are from the optional $8500 carbon-ceramic brakes, which along with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires stopped the M5 from 70 mph in a tidy 147 feet.
Fortunately, the diet hasn’t eroded any of the M5’s ability to act like a luxury car when you’re not working the Michelins hard. Left in Comfort mode, the electronically adjustable dampers allow the M5 to ride as smoothly as a regular 5-series. Two stiffer modes are selectable, but they are better left to canyon carving or a racetrack.
Driver comfort is a clear priority. The leather-upholstered seat is supple and supportive and hugs you back when you lean in. Upright windows with large expanses of glass give the cabin an airiness missing from the competition. It’s a nice place to sit and enjoy driving. Calmness begets calmness. Road and tire noise are hushed and wind rush doesn’t appear until the M5 reaches triple-digit speeds. At 70 mph the sound-level meter registers a low 66 decibels, and full-throttle acceleration rises to only 74 decibels. Switch to Sport mode and the audio system plays an enhanced version of the engine’s soundtrack that peaks at 80 decibels under hard acceleration. Any more would be annoying and would disturb the occupants of the M5’s luxurious cabin.
In spite of its all-wheel drive and automatic transmission, the M5 is a return to form. For the first time in a long time, we’re lusting after a new M5. It might not be the pure and competition-bred sedan of its youth, but the new iteration has stopped placing technology over tactility and numbers over enjoyment. The whole car is now better at integrating its tech and drawing the driver in. The performance data is more impressive than before, but the car is more than just something that generates an eye-popping test sheet. It’s better to drive than its predecessor, which is something we haven’t been able to say about an M5 since 2000.
raise:
