BMW M5 Driving Impression

The 5th generation BMW M5 remains one of the fastest, most powerful cars I've ever driven

Back in 2012, I had an opportunity to drive the mighty BMW M5. With its 560-horsepower twin-turbo V8, the M5 was one of the fastest production four-door sedans in the world at that time. Here is what I wrote about the car.

The M5 is one of my childhood heroes, a car I grew up fantasizing about. Unveiled at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1984, the first BMW M5 hand-built, using a BMW 535i chassis and a modified version of the BMW M1’s 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine. The car weighed about 1,550 kilos and with 285 horsepower, it was the fastest four-door saloon of its time. With just 2,191 units produced, the first M5 is one of the rarest production BMWs ever and, of course, never came to India.

Things change. The Indian car market has transformed completely over the last 20 years and this, the 5^th generation M5, was launched in India in January 2012 at an ex-showroom price of around Rs one crore. The car is fitted with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 560 horsepower and 680Nm of torque. At 1,945kg this M5 is only 400 kilos heavier than its predecessor from 1985 but is exactly twice as powerful – that’s three decades of progress for you.

This M5’s immediate predecessor, the 4^th generation M5 was powered by a normally aspirated 5.0-litre V10 engine that made 500bhp and 520Nm of torque. And yet, despite a deficit of two cylinders and 600cc of engine capacity, the 5^th gen model is more powerful, a fact that can probably be attributed to its twin turbochargers. The reduced engine capacity and forced induction are, of course, in keeping with changing times, where fuel economy and emissions compliance are becoming increasingly important.

They say you should never meet your heroes, the underlying logic probably being that your heroes might not live up to whatever lofty standards you’ve dreamt up for them in your frenzied imagination. I am, however, happy to report that my first meeting with the BMW M5 went quite well. I had the car all to myself for two glorious days and, honestly, it’s one of the most intensely exciting, soul-stirring cars I’ve ever driven. With its 7-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission, the M5 is as easy to drive as a regular BMW 5 Series. It’s never exactly docile – the 560bhp V8 always has a hint of menace raging just below the surface – but even if it grumbles its discontent, it will chug along road legal speeds if you absolutely insist.

Hit the expressway and floor the throttle, however, and the M5 comes into its element. Put it in sport mode, use the paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel to shift gears and the car snaps your head back repeatedly as it accelerates with savage fury, its 560 horsepower making its presence felt in a way you won’t forget in a hurry. BMW claim the M5 can accelerate from zero to 100kph in 4.4 seconds, zero to 200kph in 13 seconds and with the optional M Drivers Package, the car can hit a top speed of 305kph. I did, in fact, had a brief opportunity to do 300kph in the M5 on the Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway, so there’s no doubting its performance credentials.

Around corners and roundabouts, you do need to be a bit careful with the throttle. Despite the M5’s very competent DSC (dynamic stability control) system being there to prevent you from getting into trouble, if you’re indiscriminate with the accelerator pedal around corners – especially if the road surface is wet – the car will swing its tail out. It’s what 560bhp and rear-wheel-drive will do, electronics be damned. But the steering is nicely weighted, suspension movement is very well controlled and everything feels taut and nicely responsive. If and when you do get the car to oversteer, it’s fairly easily controlled.

When you’re not indulging in acts of driving heroism, the M5 does a reasonably convincing impression of being a big, comfortable family saloon. It’s spacious, seats up to five people and the ride quality is quite all right, despite the big, 19-inch wheels and low-profile tyres. But it’s always chomping at the bit, always waiting to be unleashed, always wanting to be driven hard. See, here’s the thing – the M5 always has a bit of Mr Hyde in it, it never completely becomes Dr Jekyll. It’s a supercar in four-door saloon drag, Tony Stark by day and Iron Man by night. Only, it’s a bit Iron Man even when it’s Tony Stark.

To conclude, I can only say that the M5’s limits are set so high, it’s difficult – at least on public roads – for most drivers to even begin to approach those limits, let alone overstep them. The car does cost Rs One Crore in India, but for performance car enthusiasts, the BMW M5 really does provide an unrivalled, unforgettable driving experience.

Note: I drove this BMW M5 in 2012 and wrote this article for Man's World magazine at that time.