Since 1985, the BMW M5 has been the go-to super saloon. It was the first to really mix incredible performance with genuine everyday usability, and as time’s gone on each subsequent generation has been faster and more brutal than the last.
The latest car looks set to continue that trend.
With BMW’s experience in this sector, the new M5 should remain one of the front-runners for buyers who desire pace, grace, and space. Despite sharing quite a bit with the previous model, the new M5 is a marked step up in just about every way, thanks to some key changes and additions.
1. It’s insanely powerful
The latest BMW M5 uses a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine. It’s an updated version of the unit in the old car, and certainly doesn’t lack for performance – though some still lament the loss of the naturally aspirated engines in M5s of old.
The new car produces an incredible 592bhp. That’s 39bhp up on the old car, though it’s narrowly beaten by its main rival, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S. Even so, the new M5 has enough power to trouble many supercars.
The Mercedes-AMG E 63 S produces 604bhp, and the Audi RS6 Avant 552bhp. Even the Audi R8 V10 Plus and McLaren 570S – outright supercars – ‘only’ push out 562bhp.
2. It’s four-wheel drive…
Traditionalists look away now – for the first time, BMW’s flagship super saloon will be driven by all four of its wheels. Ever since the first E28 model M5 was launched back in 1985, the saloon has been rear-drive only, but not any more.
The xDrive system is available on plenty of BMW models, but this is its first outing in a bonafide M car, giving BMW the chance to rival the Quattro and 4MATIC systems on its Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E63 S competitors.
The four-wheel drive system won’t be much help if you head off-road – but it aids traction in a launch start and can tighten up the car’s line in corners thanks to clever torque vectoring.
3. … but not all the time
That’s right, if you fancy some old-school tail-out action the M5 will oblige. A rear-drive only setting will be available, allowing you to go wild.
It’s similar to the Drift Mode available on cars like Ford’s Focus RS, though with so much more power the M5 should be correspondingly more spectacular.
Use with caution though, as this mode also disables the stability control and traction control, leaving you with no real safety net between your wheels and the savage engine.
4. The numbers are incredible
On paper, the new M5 is very, very fast indeed. 0-60mph should take around 3.2 seconds – around a second down on the old car – while top speed is limited to 155mph. Pay for the optional M Driver’s package and that goes up to 189mph.
That compares very well to supercars, with acceleration matching the McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10 Plus. Top speed is a little down with both of those cars able to hit 200mph, but as you’d only be able to stretch that far on the Autobahn it doesn’t matter that much.
Other numbers worth mentioning are 750Nm of torque, and slightly less impressively, around 1,800kg in weight.
5. It’s totally adjustable
The new torque converter gearbox, adjustable dampers and engine tuning are all electronically controllable via BMW’s Drivelogic system. This will give drivers a vast array of choice when it comes to driving characteristics, and should allow for a true multi-purpose car – supple and comfortable in town, and pin-sharp and firm on track.
There are three settings each for the gearbox, engine, steering and chassis, and you can save your preferred setup under programmes accessible from the steering wheel.
However, we’d hope BMW would offer a few pre-set programs, so that you don’t have to be an expert in chassis dynamics to tune up your vehicle every time you pop to the shops.
6. It stops as well as it goes
Behind the two-colour 20-inch alloy wheels sit massive vented brake discs with new ‘compound’ brake pads. Said to be lighter and more effective than standard cast-iron ones, they’ll be recognisable by blue-painted calipers.
Clever air openings in the front bumper provide the brakes with plenty of cooling, even in what BMW calls ‘race track applications’.
Customers can also specify carbon ceramic brakes with stunning gold calipers. As well as being eye-catching, they’re lighter, weighing only 23kg. They also offer even better performance and won’t fade as quickly as conventional brakes.
7. It still flies under the radar
The new M5 will still attract attention from those who know what they’re looking for, but it’s not as brash and bold as the Audi RS6 Avant. Pick a dark colour and take it easy on the options list and you could almost call the new BMW M5 discreet.
BMW claims the M5 was designed with form after function, though it still looks sufficiently mean. It’s also been lightened – the bonnet is made of aluminium, while the roof is made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic.
Muscular wheelarches, aggressive front and rear splitters, big brakes and quad exhaust pipes mark it out from the standard 5 Series, though.
8. It’s expensive
Expect to pay just under £90,000 for a new M5 in its most basic form. However, trip into the options list with pricey extras like carbon-ceramic brakes and that price will easily shoot over £100,000.
That puts it on a par with the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, which starts at £88,295, though it’s a way above the £79,545 Audi RS6 Avant. However, put it next to supercars with similar performance and the M5 begins to look like a bit of a bargain.
It’s £45,000 cheaper than the Audi R8 V10 Plus, for example, and £55,000 cheaper than the McLaren 570S. Plus, it offers far better long-distance comfort and genuine family practicality – albeit without the visual drama that a two-seat supercar provides.