2013 BMW M5

Over the years, one of my favourite cars has been the BMW M5. The allure was simple it functioned admirably as a full-on family sedan, yet when taken to a race track, it kicked serious butt. Few cars deliver on such polar opposites quite as well.Sure, there have been some less than memorable models the one with BMW’s herkyjerkySequential Manual Gearboxbut BMW has a formula and it has delivered yet again. At the Ascari race track here in Southern Spain, it proved to be wickedly fastand truly tenacious through the cornersOn the flip side, it did a very credibleimpersonation of a luxury car when the tone of the drive was dialled back. the new M5 is bolder, with a more aggressive face and air inlets, bolder side sills and a tight rear apron that wraps around four large tailpipes. It is a macho look that garnered considerable attention on the drive route.This time around, the M5 is a little different. The engine, for example, blends variable valve timing, direct injection and BMW’s Valvetronic system. The latter uses the intake valves to control the flow of power and is a first for the V8 engine. The difference is found in the configuration. Rather than having the intake manifold nestled between the vee and the exhaust manifolds on the outboard sides of the heads, the positioning has been reversed. As such, two honking turbos fill the vee while the intakes sit on the outside of the head. The engine and all of its plumbing is a work of art to
  look at it ismore so when driven

which feed the engine through two water-to-air intercoolersblowing a gale, the engine puts out 560 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque at1,500 rpm!which is up 30% over the previous model. This means M5 warps to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.4 seconds and bridges the 80-to-120-km/h span in just 3.7 seconds. More remarkable is the fact that it has, in spite of its awesome power, 30% better fuel economy than the outgoing car.The power is fired to the rear wheels through BMW’s seven-speed twinclutchautomated manual gearbox electronic locking rear M differential and enormous P295/35R19 rear tires. The result is a finely honed machine that is remarkably good at putting power to the pavementAround the Ascari track, the M5 easily put 220 km/h on the clock running through the fastest section of the track, and it did so with alarming alacrity. And the precision of the steeringThe feel is just about perfectthe P245/40R19 front tires point the car in very crisply

The beauty of the design is that the driver can set the car up according to taste. The throttle, steering and adaptive suspension each have three modes. The comfort is the best setting to use about town. The Sport and SportPlus modes gradually ramp up the urgency of the throttle response and firm the steering and/or suspension. Sport was my favourite mode the steering and suspension were taut without being too firm and the throttle was crisp. TPlus mode is ideally suited to the track everything is hunkered down such that the car stays flat even as it hits the limit All settings can then be stored in one of two steering wheel-mounted M buttons.The dynamic stability control is the other function that can be stored in the M buttons. As many found out the hard way, turning the system off is not a wise move. The torque, which is effectively there continually, flicks the back end out very easily. Be warned, if you plan to playMode is as off as off should beThe final bit of the adjustable equation is the transmission again three settings Thefirst is for town the second stretches out the upshifts and is the best for the open road. The third speeds up the shifts, stretches out the shift points further still and locks out seventh gear. Regardless of the settingthe box works wonderfully well the qualityand quickness of the shifts is exceptional. My wish is that after using one of the paddle shifters to gear down, the box should revert to the automatic mode if it’s left alone for a period of time. The M5 does not, which is annoying — one has to move the main shifter to get back into the auto mode after every paddle flick, which get tedious on a long drive
.

Inside, the M5 is all business. The cockpit is leather wrapped, including the dash, and accented with bright aluminum trim. It also boasts two of the best front seats in the business — they deliver wonderful thigh, shoulder and lateral support. It also arrives loaded, counting all the usual gizmosa head-up display, which, again, can be customized and includes an eyeThe new M5 continues to deliver the best of both worlds room for five adults incomplete comfort wonderful driving dynamics and a blinding turn of speedthey don’t get much better. If there is one little nit, it is that the M5 lacks the basso profondo its performance demands. The exhaust note is fine, but there’s no intake roar because of the location of the manifolds. In the grand scheme of things, it really matters not, as the rest of the car is very good