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4
Handling
5
Performance
Usability
Feelgood factor
Readers' rating
3
By Ben Barry
First Drives
29 July 2008 13:05
The E60 BMW M5 is the fourth-generation M5 and, at £65,890, the third-most expensive car in the M-Division range – sitting below the M6 Coupe/Convertible but above the M3 Coupe/Saloon/Convertible and M Coupe/Roadster.
Brilliantly. It’s comfortable, extremely fast and sure-footed but playful. If anything lets it down, it’s the unnecessary gadgetry – but we’ll get to that later.
Climb into the M5 and you’re greeted by comfy, reasonably supportive leather seats (we’d recommend the optional active seat bolsters if you plan on using an M5 as intended). The dash materials are of high quality and the layout is simple and intuitive. iDrive gets a lot of flak, but its key to this simplicity and, in this writer’s opinion, highly effective. The head-up display also works incredibly well, giving clear information relating to gear selection, speed and revs (and how many revs can be used at the current engine temperature) that allows the driver to never take his eyes off the road.
At five litres from ten cylinders it strikes the ideal capacity of 500cc per cylinder – good for power, great for refinement. But prod the start button (fumble around for the key slot, grope about for the start/stop button behind the steering wheel) and it erupts into a deep, busy, rattly idle. At cruising speed it’s incredibly refined and flexible, while delivering a progressively intense adrenaline hit towards the 7750rpm power peak. It’s business as usual for the M-Division: you think you’re going fast at 6000rpm – then the fireworks start!
On start up the M5 defaults to a setting with less power and a mushier throttle response – and the Power button is something you’ll constantly forget to press. Why not have the full power setting as the de-fault mode while mushy throttle pedal mode could be selected – and remains selected even after you’ve knocked the engine off – for those moments when a less experienced relative/mechanic/valet gets the keys?
Click 'Next' below to read more of our BMW M5 first drive
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BMW M5 (2008) CAR review
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Monil says
RE: BMW M5 CAR review
I rated it 3 out of 5 .. i like this artical but the car is not good
17 September 2009 17:06
rdeisenbeiss says
I have driven the Euro spec M5 with paddle shifts several times, but own a 2008 M5 with manual box in the USA. The manual 6 speed, a beautifully weighted, perfectly spaced affair, completes the car's magic. It becomes a much more harmonious experience and takes an important part of the driving experience away from the computer, returning it back to the driver where it belongs. It should be offered as an option in Euro spec as well. The day-to-day gain in driving pleasure more than makes up for the manual's lack of launch control. Now, if on the next generation M5 they can bury Bangle's overwrought, busy and inefficient (cabin stowage space???) interior design and add the much improved next gen iDrive debuting in the new 7, the car will be absolutely perfect. As it is, the car's abilities are so sublime that it is easy to ignore the design issues that on a lesser car would annoy.
09 November 2008 19:43
stefanfr says
The reviews of manual M5 in US are not so enthusiastic, they are complaining that in order to safely cope with the huge potential of the engine, BMW was forced to make the ESP (or DSC in BMW language) not fully disconnectable on the manual version, because the full torque on the back wheels was making the car loosing the back (something which in SMG was somehow modulated by the gearbox)
26 September 2008 15:31
ga41 says
Talbot, I'd guess this is the Car online review and not the Car magazine review. i. e. they're catching up. Anyway i always admired the M5, unassuming saloon shape and practicality paired with supercar performance. Can't go wrong with that. I wonder when/if we'll see a M5 V10 transplanted in an E92 M3 by some crazy tuner. (i dont know if it's been done before..)
30 July 2008 07:19
Talbot5667 says
Car - have I missed something? Why the review? Has the M5 changed?
29 July 2008 23:23
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