I was 11 years old when I first looked at and sat behind the wheel of a BMW M5. Long before I had my driver’s license or first pay cheque, the significance of BMW’s ‘M’ badging was not lost on me. I didn’t know then, that the E34 M5 was handbuilt – in some cases by a single individual from start to finish – but I did know that it was fast, expensive, a showcase for BMW’s technical prowess and, quite impressive to an 11 year old, it had electrically adjustable seats. Twenty years on and the latest BMW M5, codenamed the F10, retains all those same basic hallmarks, but on exponentially greater levels.
The F10 M5 is the fifth generation of BMW’s high-performance executive saloon, designed to deliver track potential, practicality, luxury, touring comfort, as well as being safe and efficient.
Let’s start with ‘efficiency’, as it points to one of the biggest changes, not just for the M5, but for BMW and the auto industry in general. Smaller capacity, forced induction engines have become the recipe for lowering fuel consumption, reducing emissions, whilst providing impressive levels of power and torque. As a result, the latest M5 is the first to be powered by a turbocharged engine. It isn’t an entirely new engine either, we’ve seen it in the X5 M and X6 M SUVs already, but the new M5 is the first vehicle that truly harnesses it and allows the driver to explore its talents in its highest state of tune.
Forget about the outgoing model’s 373 kW 5.0-litre V10 as good as it was, because the new 4.4-litre, TwinPower Turbo V8 is simply ballistic. 412 kW at 6 000 r/min, 680 Nm of torque from 1 500 r/min, 0 – 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, 250 km/h top speed or 305 km/h with the optional ‘M Driver’s Package’, and it delivers all this with the feeling of a high-revving nature synonymous with M cars. The efficient part is a claimed 9.9 L/100km, a very big claim that I’m not sure many would be able to achieve, but electronic wizardry such as Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Stop/Start and BMW’s Efficient Dynamics systems all help to make the new M5 the most powerful, but also the most efficient (pound-for-pound) M car to-date.
With so much ‘go’ BMW have equipped the M5 with a multitude of safety aids to keep occupants safe and, with the way the M5 gallops towards the horizon, you’ll be thankful for the peace of mind. In addition to applying brake impulses and reducing engine output to stabilise the car in the event of a loss of traction, the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) in the new BMW M5 also employs the services of the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Brake Assistant, Fading Compensation and a Brake Drying function for wet-weather driving. Incidentally, the brakes are stoic in their function and remained resilient after continuous abuse around the Aldo Scribante circuit in Port Elizabeth. The new BMW M5 includes front and side airbags, side curtain head airbags for both rows of seats, three-point inertia reel seat belts on all seats, front belt force limiters and belt tensioners, and ISOFIX child seat attachments in the rear.
In terms of touring and luxury appeal, the M5 is not short on either. Dynamic Damper Control allows the driver to adjust the car’s ride according to the road surface, allowing flexibility and composure between relaxed and sporty driving styles. The interior has enough detailing to distinguish itself from the rest of the 5 Series range, with an M-specific instrument cluster in black-panel technology; newly designed, leather-covered centre console; M sports seats; head-up display with M mode; aluminium interior trim strips and anthracite roof liner being the stand-out features.
From the outside the M5 looks ‘the business’ too, with a sporty front apron and large air intakes, flared wheel arches, a rear apron with diffuser between a set of twin exhausts pipes set to either side, a subtle rear spoiler on the boot lid and 19-inch M light-alloy wheels. The M5 has never been an in-your-face performance saloon and continues the tradition of having a modest demeanour backed by performance figures that border on the obscene.
Of course, being a 5 Series, the M5 also boasts space for five adults with enough head and legroom for all. The boot can accommodate 520-litres of luggage, which is enough for three bags of golf clubs and potentially even four, with a little bit of planning. Practicality with the M5, however, is a bonus and not a focus, as the engineers have formulated and sculptured the M5 to deliver driving pleasure.
With such monumental power and torque available, the M5 threatens to be a complete handful. It can be, but by default M cars never have been. Instead, their genius lies in being able to satisfy the two opposites, whether aiming for lap times or lunacy. A combination of hardware and software are designed to reward the driver regardless of his / her mood. M-specific suspension, M Servotronic steering, an Active M Differential and lightweight high-performance braking system, are just some of the under lying mechanicals. These are further enhanced by the car’s electronic aids, including the superbly smooth seven-speed M-DCT gearbox (no small feat when one considers the forces acting on the drivetrain), which work in unison according to constant data cross-checking between the Active M Differential and DSC stability control system, as well as monitoring of the accelerator pedal position, wheel speed and yaw rate.
A day with the M5 is not enough to explore all that this car has to offer. Suspension, engine response, steering and transmission are all adjustable in a number of combinations, which can be preset via one of two M-Mode buttons on the steering wheel. Simply put, the M5 defies its 1 945 kg weight by delivering astonishing straightline performance and equally as impressive handling. The electronic power steering, while very accurate, lacks feel and doesn’t come across as authentic. Considering there is no physical connection to the front wheels, however, what BMW engineers have achieved is still highly admirable. The M5 doesn’t leave you wanting for much, other than a bigger monthly budget for tyres and fuel, together with tarmac free of traffic and speed limits.
Purists may question the switch to forced induction, but should only do so momentarily. This is BMW’s tour de force and the M engineers have done an outstanding job of retaining the feeling of ‘M’ and, unsurprisingly, it’s now better than ever. Still the benchmark in the performance-end of executive saloon class, which the original BMW M5 established back in 1985.
| Pricing (incl. VAT and CO2 Tax) | |
| BMW M5 M-DCT | R1 145 500 |
Pricing includes a 5-year / 100 000 km maintenance plan and 24-hour roadside assistance.
