40 years ago this year, BMW launched the M5, the performance version of its 5 Series mid-size sedan. Criticism was unanimous; Munich had just given birth to the ultimate family sports car.
Four decades and seven generations later, we are treated to the most recent vintage of the model which, you guess it, pushes the limits of performance to another level.
The question we must ask ourselves is: at what cost? And we’re not talking about the bill here, which is substantial with this type of model. And frankly, it’s not that exorbitant considering what you get in return.
Rather, the price we are referring to relates to the very essence of the model, to its DNA, to the sensations it provides. Certainly, this new M5 is a beast in every way, as we will soon see, but what does it really deliver to performance purists, besides a technical sheet that will make you salivate?
Let’s look at it all together.
Design et configuration
BMW has faced a lot of criticism in recent years with the design of its vehicles. The brand is prisoner of its signature composed of nostrils at the front, and in trying to reinvent it, it has sometimes lost its way.
With this M5, the exercise is more successful with an evolution that is more traditional than revolutionary. We clearly notice the presence of the nasals, but rather than being decorated with vertical lamellae, they are filled with panels and openings. And speaking of openings, the one with the shield is massive; let’s say that all the paraphernalia hiding under the hood needs fresh air; lots of fresh air.
At the rear, it’s simple, but tasteful, with tapered lights and four large exhaust tips that betray the bestial nature of this M5.
And yes, for those who have followed the file, the family variant of the model will be offered here. We’re salivating at the idea.
Plug-in hybrid
A sign of the times, this new M5 benefits from a plug-in hybrid approach. BMW uses the fifth generation of its technology for the occasion. Thanks to the presence of a 14.8 kWh battery, the system provides around forty kilometers of all-electric driving; official figures remain to be confirmed.
The gasoline engine, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, alone offers 553 horsepower and 577 pound-feet of torque. Above all, with the power of the electric motor, estimated at 194 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque (with a peak of 332 pound-feet), this allows the total performance to be pushed to a combined 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. couple.
Orgiastic data for anyone who loves performance. Unsurprisingly, all this results in a great 0-97 km/h time, or 3.4 seconds.
But what about the sensations? Does this new M5 provide the same kind of pleasure as its 1985 ancestor, or some others that came after it, so the example from 20 years ago, which responded to the sound of a thunderous V10 5.0 liters?
The answer follows, but first, a brief examination of what lies behind performance.
A new reality
When reading BMW’s press release describing what the new M5 is made of, one thing jumps out; an army of software is called upon to control a multitude of vehicle functions and settings.
The engine may well be a V8, but it benefits from technologies aimed at optimizing its performance. For example, the engine benefits from an integrated temperature control system. The latter also manages the temperature of the transmission, electric motor and high-voltage battery to ensure ideal operating conditions for the drive system technology during high power demands, on short journeys and while driving. urban.
Somewhere in the release we are told that an “optimized oil separation process with a variable impactor improves the engine’s emissions performance” and that a dual air intake duct reduces pressure losses and improves acoustics thanks to noise absorbers placed near the motor.
We are far from a simple mechanism.
On the battery side, the eControl setting allows the high-voltage charge to be kept at a constant level during the journey or increased by recovering energy or deliberately increasing the charging points of the combustion engine.
We could go on at length. The M5 also has an adaptive suspension, electronic settings for driving modes that transform the vehicle’s behavior, a Boost function that allows you to benefit from extra power for short moments, two settings for vehicle assistance. steering, braking pressure which is triggered by an electric actuator, the list is endless.
The goal is not to bore you here, but to make you realize this; this new M5 is a computer on wheels, nothing less. This comes with a series of performance benefits, but the price you pay is that it doesn’t feel as real as you’d like; we come back to it.
Equipment
At $145,000 and counting, we can guess that the equipment is complete. The M5 comes with staggered tires, 20-inch front, 21-inch rear. The wheels in this location are directional, to help with low-speed maneuvering, but also overtaking and higher-speed executions. When cornering, the differential ensures that the outside wheel turns more quickly for safer and more solid handling. And there you have it, another example of the electronics ruining this model.
Inside, the presentation is in line with what we have seen at BWM in recent years, namely a dashboard dominated by these plain 12.3 and 14.9 inch screens which are used for the instrument cluster. and the multimedia system. It’s a question of taste, but we are far from the panache offered by the analog dials of the models of the time.
As for physical controls, they are rare in the cabin. On the center console, there are mainly buttons with haptic feedback, while everything relating to the air conditioning, heated seats and audio is revealed on the central screen.
A Bowers & Wilkins audio system awaits us with 18 speakers to tickle and pamper our ears. Those located in the doors (and covered with a metallic finish) are even illuminated. The navigation, included, is cloud-based and provides real-time information related to road and traffic conditions.
Red dominated the theme on board the model tested, but it is also possible to opt for black, or even a mixture combining black with gray or orange. A huge panoramic sunroof (33 inches by 32 inches) adds the desired brightness. It is also possible to opt for the carbon package which adds a roof made of this material, and which reduces the weight of the vehicle by more than 66 pounds. It also makes up the mirror shells and the rear spoiler.
For the exterior, you are spoiled for choice. A non-metallic white, nine metallic shades ($0 to $6,000), as well as 18 other options ($5,000 to $6,000, depending on the color) are at your disposal.
Behind the wheel
And what does it look like on the road, as well as on the track?
As you can probably guess, the level of performance is optimal.
On the track, in addition to the thrust which is extraordinary when you press the accelerator, it is the lightness of the steering which impresses. We guide the car with disconcerting ease, convinced that we have a little M3 in our hands. The model clings to the asphalt with a slightly sloppy confidence, even daring to let us believe that the laws of gravity no longer have an impact. And even then, the car is so intelligent that it will sense any beginning of evasion to bring us back on the right path.
It is in every way very astonishing.
And on the road, you can find the M5 you like by playing with the driving modes. The comfort is perfect, the handling is obviously solid and you swallow the kilometers savoring every moment. The power is well managed by the eight-speed gearbox, but the torque is so great that when stopped, when turning right or left on a wet surface, the rear axle tries to slip, even if you just touch the right pedal.
That makes managing that power in the dry all the more impressive. The car wants to tear everything away, but the electronic aids make this brute a very civilized machine.
Conclusion
Intoxicating? Yes, but for those who have experienced the pleasure of driving old M5 or M3, we remain satisfied. Not because of the lack of performance, but because of the sensations, which are diluted.
And isn’t that the primary reason why we get this kind of model?
The M5 is extraordinary, but at times it would benefit from being more ordinary, to thrill us more.
