BMW M5
The BMW M5 has landed! Claimed to be the world's ultimate sports saloon, BMW's new 205mph four-door has just arrived in the UK, but is Britain ready for it?
The new M5 is a technical tour de force - amazingly quick, very composed and immensely well equipped. The V10 is arguably the best road car engine in the world, and the seven-speed sequential gearbox is unique. And while the £61,760 price might seem expensive, the BMW is actually £2,670 cheaper than key rival, Mercedes' E55 AMG saloon. How-ever, the M5 is almost too fast for UK roads, and makes much more sense pushed to the limit on a private test track.
The BMW M5 has landed! Claimed to be the world's ultimate sports saloon, BMW's new 205mph four-door has just arrived in the UK, but is Britain ready for it?
Spotting the M5 is not easy. Many of the styling changes are shared with the 5-Series Sport models, although the alloy wheels, quad tailpipes and side slats are unique to this car.
Inside, a complex array of buttons by the stubby gearlever give control of the BMW's technical wizardry. There is even a Power button to limit the 507bhp 5.0-litre V10 engine to 400bhp.
It is the jewel in the M5's crown and delivers sensational pace. Tractable and muscular, it sounds like a meaty V8 at low revs, but only gets into its stride higher in the range. With the limiter not cutting in until 8,250rpm, the M5 is capable of hitting 60mph in 4.7 seconds. It accelerates as hard as most supercars and sounds better than many, too.
After the engine, the rest of the car is a bit of an anti-climax. The seven-speed sequential gearbox is impressive, but the shifts are too abrupt unless you lift the throttle during changes. And although the M5 handles well for a big car, it has been set up for smooth German tarmac, and is too stiff on UK roads. The new M might be magic, but it is also something of a one-trick pony...
