BMW M5 2012 Review

Truly Magnificent!

Price doesn’t mean quality. Being able to embarrass super cars is a huge honour. But, doing it with a car worth about £73k is another thing altogether. This is what the BMW M5 can do to some of the much more expensive super cars which nearly rack up to double the price of the M5. The BMW M5 is the latest addition to the 5 series range. M5 is a tougher, agile, faster and pricier car made by BMW. The BMW M5 is a top of the range car. The main difference between the normal 5 series car and the M5 is the engineering division, but the body of the car stays the same.

The new BMW M5 is luxury combined with power. Most of the modern supercars can only accommodate two people. The BMW offers many practical solutions for everyday problems, which include carrying four people in the car on a trip. While providing this solution this car gives you a taste of what a Lamborghini or Aston Martin provides (obviously not to the full extend, but just a sample). The performance is truly staggering.  A family saloon car with a 4.4 litre V8 engine with a twin turbo (no turbo lag whatsoever) provides 552bhp and 501lb ft of torque sounds like a recipe for a failure. In this case, BMW has done an excellent job to provide its customers with both luxury and excellence.  Hitting 60mph in 4.4 seconds is a credit to any family saloon. But this goes all the way up to 190mph without an electronic limiter. The car will use a dual clutch transmission which improves the ferocity of the gear change and will let the power roll out onto the wheels quicker. This car has been equipped with one of the best gear boxes out on the market, which makes it seamlessly smooth and quick to change gears all the way up to the 7^th gear. The car also includes an Active M-Differential which provides more traction and greater stability when cornering, even on snow, gravel or ice. The Active M -Differential supplies optimum traction and supports the dynamic qualities of the rear-wheel drive car both when accelerating out of corners and manoeuvring on slippery surfaces. A differential is a device which is usually used to employ gears capable of transmitting torque and rotation through three shafts, almost always used in one of two ways: in one way, it receives one input and provides two outputs, this is found in most automobiles; and in the other way, it combines two inputs to create an output that is the sum, difference, or average, of the inputs.

The car weighs 1945kg (nearly 2 tonnes). Due to this weight issue, BMW engineers have gone the extra mile to stiffen up and strengthen the car’s body framework for a good stability on the road in high speed manoeuvres. The sound bellowed out of the engine is a deep growl (very bassy) which is pumped out through the four fine tuned exhausts. But, it doesn’t sound as good as V10 in the old M5. It’s not as aggressive sounding as the Mercedes E63 AMG, which in this situation is a disadvantage, because the Mercedes sounds absolutely glorious.

As usual, the build quality is exemplary in the M5 as in all of their other models. The M5 has a beautiful interior which is available in six different colours, which can be combined with three distinct interior trims. BMW also offers seven exquisite colours for the exterior with an immaculate finish. The M5 also includes the new version of the I-Drive System which has been seen in the new Z4 and 5 series and 6 series. On the exterior, there has been a huge change compared to last M5. Every single body panel has been changed to give a sharper look to the car. And again, as with every M series car, you get a lot of M badges on the interior, just to remind the owner that it’s’ an M5, just in case if they have forgotten. The interior is filled with plush leather, to provide comfort during normal driving and support when you wish to use the maximum potential.

One of the small drawbacks to this car is the feel of the steering. The steering is very poise and accurate but the feeling through the steering itself is a bit artificial. Even though there are three different settings for the steering, it feels very electronic, unnatural and manmade.

Unfortunately, there is just one more punch in the face when buying the M5; the fuel economy is not greatest. The M5 proves itself to provide about 25mpg, which is very good considering the size of the engine, but not as good as the 6.3 litre V8 E63 AMG (28mpg). The BMW engineers have also put in a bigger fuel tank (extra 10 litres) compared to the normal 5 series and the old M5 to increase the distance travelled. Obviously, the road tax for this car is out of this world costing £445per year. The car is also insurance group 42, which makes it very expensive to insure unless its’ a company car.

The amount of standard equipment available on the M5 is appropriate for a car of this price. The standard equipment include: Head-up Display, DAB digital radio, front and rear Park Distance Control, four-zone air-conditioning, Xenon headlights, Adaptive Headlights and front seat heating. With Professional Multimedia Navigation system and BMW Assist, a new real-time traffic information service provides accurate traffic bulletins and diversion suggestions. Furthermore, with Bluetooth and USB audio interface as standard, the integration of Smartphones and music players keep occupants entertained and informed.

There are also many optional extras on the price list for the customers to tick (or be forced to tick by the salesman), one of them being the Night Vision System. But, definitely keep away from the Night Vision System worth £1,150 because it’s a waste of money. Night Vision is a driving aid aimed to alert the driver to potential hazards such as pedestrians or animals during the night. The night vision in the M5 is not as good as the Mercedes S-Class or anything of that sort.   So, if I was you I wouldn’t bother with that. On the other hand, definitely tick the box next to `20-inch M double-Spoke wheels’. This gives the M5 an aggressive look from whichever angle you look at.

All factors considered, the M5 is good value for money. The car is aimed at business executives who love to drive. But, it’s not a car for keen drivers. So, choose carefully! If I was going to spend my own money, I would walk straight past the M5 and buy the E63. Don’t get me wrong, the M5 is a great car, but as a whole package I personally prefer the E63 over the M5.

For those people who don’t like either of these cars, there are other alternatives available such as:

·         Cadillac CTS-V

·         Audi S6

·         Jaguar XJ V8

·         Jaguar XFR

·         BMW M6

Also, if you would like to take your dog on the trip, don’t forget that there will be an estate version available in the near future for the M5. Till then you guys will have to do with saloon.

Next time: Review of the Range Rover Evoque.