Category: News

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.

When Mercedes-AMG dropped the insane SLS from its range, many fans shed a little tear. The SLS was enormous, expensive and about as discreet as a grenade launcher, but it was a truly special range-topper for the Mercedes range.
Then the new Mercedes-AMG GT came along – smaller, cheaper, and with less theatre thanks to conventionally opening doors, it nevertheless continued to fly the flag for front-engined supercars and in time has become a serious contender in a market flooded with Porsche 911s and Audi R8s.
And just like the 911, the AMG GT has spawned more focused, track-ready variants, and the peak of this is the hardcore AMG GT R.
Aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Mercedes claims it’s as close to a race car for the road as it’s ever made. At least, until the Project One arrives…
Here are some essential facts you have to know about the Mercedes-AMG GT R…

1. It’s as fast as you’d expect

Adding power to a supercar has long been a good recipe to increase its speed, so it’s no surprise to find that Mercedes-AMG has fitted one of it’s more sophisticated powertrains to the GT R.
It packs a handcrafted 4.0-litre V8 engine, with two turbochargers placed in the ‘vee’ of the cylinders for better response. It makes an incredible 577bhp, good for a 0-60mph sprint of under 3.5 seconds.
Top speed is just shy of the magic 200mph mark but all the way there, you’ll be amazed at the brutality of that marvellous engine.

2. Comfort is very much an afterthought

Though the Mercedes-AMG GT R does have a ‘comfort’ mode, it’s still more hardcore than many other cars are on their most ferocious settings.
Unashamedly stiff, super sharp steering and a fantastic amount of noise from the engine mean this is definitely not a grand tourer in the same vein as the Aston Martin DB11 V8.
That’s not to say it’s totally unusable – the suspension does take the worst edge off bumps, and the race seats are fantastic.

3. It flies the flag for front-engined supercars

The GT R sits very much in its own little world when it comes to rivals. In terms of price and performance, it seems to rival cars like the McLaren 570S, Audi R8 and various iterations of the Porsche 911 – but none of them keep their engines in front of the driver.
In that sense, you could consider the Merc a rival to cars like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Dodge Viper ACR (sadly discontinued) or Nissan GT-R Nismo.
Either that, or consider it a half-priced Ferrari 812 Superfast.

4. It’s a true AMG

AMG’s philosophies are alive and well in the GT R – particularly the ‘one man, one engine’ policy, which means each AMG engine is worked on by a single technician from start to finish.
Other AMG hallmarks include ‘form follows performance’ – easy to see on the GT R, where aerodynamic and performance additions are seemingly applied with a trowel.
AMG claims that even when stationary, its vehicles are ‘explicit about their true purpose’ – driving performance.

5. It’s been honed at the Nurburgring

More and more car manufacturers are choosing the Nurburgring to develop and fine-tune their cars, especially performance models. AMG is no exception, and the GT R is a Nurburgring veteran.
While there’s very little regulation of Nurburgring lap times, the GT R’s 7:10.9 is deeply impressive, and comes in almost four seconds faster than a Lexus LFA fitted with the Nurburgring package.
The GT R has had the Nurburgring in its sights from the beginning, and its incredible lap time proves that.

6. It’ll cost you a bundle… but it’s still cheaper than you might think

The AMG GT R starts from £140,545 – a pretty penny, and over £40,000 more expensive than its non-R sibling. But to look at the car’s price would be doing it a disservice.
Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS may have been cheaper to buy when new, starting from £131,296 – but it’s famously difficult to get hold of, and buyers often pay vastly inflated sums just to own one. Even now, used prices flit around the £200,000 mark.
Compare it to its mid-engined brethren and the GT R’s case gets even easier to justify. The McLaren 570S and Audi R8 V10 Plus skate just either side of the AMG – at £145k and £135k respectively. So expensive it may be, but the GT R is no more pricey to own than its main rivals.

A flat tyre is always annoying, but it doesn’t have to be a burden if you know how to change it.

Yes, it will take a bit of time, but if you can do it yourself it’s bound to be less of a wait than hanging around for the recovery services to arrive. Here’s what to do.

1. Be safe

Make sure you stop in a safe place on flat, hard and level ground and apply your hazard lights if appropriate. If you can’t move the car to a safe place, and think changing the tyre will put you or others in danger, then don’t do it. If you are not a member of a breakdown service, you can still call them and they’ll charge you a fee to assist – that’s got to be better than putting yourself in danger.

2. Check it out

Always ensure the handbrake is applied, and for double certainty leave the car in gear – or park if you have an automatic.

3. Remove the wheel caps

If your car has wheel covers or hubcaps, you’ll have to take them off. More importantly, if you car has locking wheel nuts fitted you’ll need to find the corresponding ‘key’ – a special metal adaptor that matches the locking nut on each wheel. This is usually kept in your glove box or with the spare wheel tools.

4. Loosen the nuts

Taking a wheel wrench, loosen the wheel nuts slightly, always remembering to push down. You might have to put your back into it because they’re often tightened well – they hold the wheels on after all. Don’t take them off just yet, though.

5. Jack it up

Place the jack under the vehicle, making sure you find the nearest jacking points for the tyre that needs changing. If you’re completely stuck, consult your car’s manual to find them. Always use the jacking points when lifting a vehicle, they are there for a reason. The AA recommends looking at your owner’s manual always for complete certainty.

6. Rotate clockwise

When jacking the car up, always rotate clockwise which should push the car off the ground.

7. Keep twisting

Keep jacking the car up until it is just off the ground, which should give you room to remove the tyre.

8. Nuts off

Now remove the previously loosened wheel nuts, meaning the wheel should now lift straight off – but take care, it may be heavier than you imagine. Put the nuts in a safe place, you’ll need them later.

9. Spare time

It’s now time for that extra weight you’ve been carrying about in your boot for the past few years to be put to good use. Grab the spare tyre or space saver and mount it on the wheel bolts.

10. Hands first

Get the (hopefully) safely placed wheel bolts and fasten them on by hand to begin with, then tighten up as best you can with the wrench.

11. Jack it back

It’s now time to bring the car back down, lowering the jack in the opposite direction to before – anticlockwise if you’d forgotten.

12. Tighten the nuts

Take the wrench and fully tighten the wheel nuts on the car now it is on the ground. If they aren’t tight enough, your wheel might fall off, so do this step correctly. It’s worth correctly checking with a torque wrench when you’ve got to a location with one. Now remove the jack.

14. Clean up time

Make sure you store the jack, wrench and locking wheel nut key (if applicable) away safely again – you might need these again in future.

15. Final things

Remember that if you’ve fitted a space saver, these normally have a reduced top speed, often around 50mph. This is not just guidance, they have a max speed for a reason. Take the car to a garage for a tyre change as soon as possible – space savers aren’t designed to be permanent after all.

We’ve all been there: Returning to our car after a period of inactivity only to find that nothing happens when you turn the key.

A flat battery might be one of the simplest problems to fix, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a pain. However, thankfully with the right equipment and knowledge you can be on your way again in no time at all.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting back on the road without having to call the breakdown recovery services.

1. Jump to it

If you’re sensible you’ll have stored a set of jump leads the back of your car for these occasions. However, if you haven’t, often other motorists will have some. If you’re in a car park ask around – especially airport car parks, where this happens a lot. You’ll find most car park security teams keep a set handy.

2. Find a working car

This is where you’ll need some assistance. If you’ve borrowed the jump leads from another motorist you can use their car. Or if you’ve called for someone to bring you some, use theirs. Preferably it will have a similar size engine to your broken down car, but don’t worry too much as this isn’t essential.

3. Safety first

Before getting started, ensure the flat battery isn’t damaged or leaking. If it is, abandon any attempts at restarting it and call in the professionals. Remove any metal jewellery or watches you may have on too, just in case.

4. Get ready

Park both cars in a safe place, put them in neutral, and make sure they’re close enough to each other to attach the jump leads easily. Open the bonnets and make sure they’re secure and not likely to fall down on top of you. If one is an automatic, put it in park. Ensure both ignitions are switched off and the handbrakes are on.

5. Lead by example

Attach one of the red clips (or red leads) to the positive terminal of the working battery – you’ll know which it is as it will have a + or ‘POS’ on it. Attach the other end of the lead to the other positive terminal.

6. Negativity time

Attach the black leads or black clip to the negative terminal on the working battery – this will be the one with a minus sign or ‘NEG’ next to it. Attach the other end to a metal (earthing) point like a bolt, away from the flat battery. Check your car’s handbook to see if it has a negative jump-starting pole. You can always use the metal strut that holds the bonnet open.

7. Power up

Wait a moment or two to let the voltage neutralise, check that the cables are free from any moving parts in the engine bays, then start the working car and let it run for a few minutes.

8. Starters orders

Try and start the dead car – checking it is in park or neutral first – and hopefully it will fire into life. If it doesn’t, check the cables are properly connected and run the working car for around five minutes. If it doesn’t start after that, you’ll need to call the recovery services.

9. Sweet success

If you do manage to start the car – don’t turn it off! Carefully remove the leads in the reverse order to which you attached them. That means black off first, followed by red. Take the car for at least a 15-minute drive to recharge your battery. It may need longer. If you suffer the same problem again, then it’s time for a new battery.

For more than a century, Rolls-Royce has stood at the pinnacle of automotive luxury, and the newly-revealed eighth generation Phantom certainly continues this reputation.

There’s the usual combination of exceptional hand-built machinery and British eccentricity, but here are six features on the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII that really caught our attention.

1. The engine

Rolls-Royce has always been known for creating phenomenal engines, including the Merlin unit that was fitted to the greatest aeroplane of all time – the Supermarine Spitfire.

The Phantom follows this long-held tradition of exquisite powertrains – now using a brand new 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12. This extraordinary engine has a power output of 563bhp, and can even produce as much as 900Nm of torque at a mere 1,700rpm. This means that the car can achieve 0-60mph in a brisk 5.3 seconds.

2. The gearbox

Continuing on the theme of driving mechanics, the new Phantom has some more technological wizardry at its disposal.

The ZF eight-speed gearbox benefits from satellite-aided transmission, which makes its gear selection based on geographic location and the owner’s driving style.

3. The architecture

The Phantom VIII’s rather boxy body hides a very advanced aluminium spaceframe structure, making the car 30 per cent more rigid than its predecessor.

Rolls-Royce describes the result of the added lightness and stiffness as a “magic carpet ride”, saying that it brings a “whole new level” of comfort.

4. The dashboard

Rolls-Royce has named the new Phantom’s dashboard “The Gallery”. The reason? Customers can commission a personalised piece of artwork to be placed behind a large glass pane just above the glove box, on display for the driver and passengers to see.

The idea came from Giles Taylor, Rolls-Royce’s director of design. He explained that the Gallery turns something purely functional into a piece of art. Perhaps the most insane option on offer here is a gold-plated rendering of your DNA.

5. The headlights

If you’re sick of excessively bright lights blinding you on night-time journeys, we’ve got some bad news, because Rolls-Royce is most definitely taking part in the ongoing headlight arms race between premium manufacturers.

As if night vision technology wasn’t enough, the Phantom VIII has a new laserlight system that allows the driver to see a staggering 600 metres down the road in front of them.

6. The cameras

Although reversing cameras and dashcams are often found built in to basic hatchbacks nowadays, the new Phantom changes up a few gears (quite literally in fact).

A stereo camera system has been built into the windscreen. This monitors the road ahead and adjusts the suspension accordingly at speeds of up to 62mph. An additional four-camera setup gives a panoramic view and helicopter view of the car.