Whereas the Saturn V was your typical straight-line junky, the M5 relishes the opportunity to challenge a twisty back road. Ironically, the alterations from the current 5 Series chassis involves removing more than adding. Gone from the cooking 5 sedans are active steering, active anti-roll bars,
and run-flat tires. Replacing the active steering is a passive system with a mechanically variable ratio that unnoticeably adjusts once you've turned the steering wheel past a certain point. The two levels of power-steering assist, light and heavy, are dependent on which damper setting you select, Comfort, Normal or Sport. Comfort is a boon on some of our more winter-ravaged roads as the shocks are softer and the steering lightens up. We're not talking Buick Lucerne-like here, but it is noticeably different than the Sport setting, which is best employed on smoother pavement where body roll is minimized and turn-in is quickened. As BMW likes to brag, the M5 has 50/50 weight distribution. What this means is that understeer is available if you enter a corner too slow, and oversteer is available if you enter a corner too fast. You get to choose, because with the mighty vee-ten on hand, there's always enough juice to encourage mid-corner oversteer. For the better-trained driver, the M5's Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) can be killed. And with track days in mind, DSC has a third mode called M Dynamic Mode, which permits a little more oversteer and wheel spin but will engage when you've truly lost it.
After the requisite let's see what she'll do stunts, you'll discover the new M5's cockpit is a pretty nice place to be. With 16-way adjustment for the driver seat, tailoring an appropriate driving position is easy. Part of the Executive Package my test car came with included BMW's Active Seat Bolsters, which utilize bladders (in the seats, not the driver) to counter
react to your body's shifting around due to the M5's potentially high cornering forces. Like most systems on the M5, this is adjustable but can be distracting when set in the most assertive mode.
Budget cuts in the 1970s shortened the Apollo project earlier than originally planned for, leaving three Saturn V rockets unused. Under the weight of heavy expectations that any new BMW M car must endure, the M5 is an astonishing piece of engineering, so don't expect the same fate for BMW's four-door missile. Every new M5 will be sold, and hopefully, used to its full potential.
- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com
Build quality 5/6
Features 6/6
Performance 6/6
Fun-to-drive 5/6
Overall value 6/6
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| (Photo: John LeBlanc) |
After the requisite let's see what she'll do stunts, you'll discover the new M5's cockpit is a pretty nice place to be. With 16-way adjustment for the driver seat, tailoring an appropriate driving position is easy. Part of the Executive Package my test car came with included BMW's Active Seat Bolsters, which utilize bladders (in the seats, not the driver) to counter
 |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc) |
Budget cuts in the 1970s shortened the Apollo project earlier than originally planned for, leaving three Saturn V rockets unused. Under the weight of heavy expectations that any new BMW M car must endure, the M5 is an astonishing piece of engineering, so don't expect the same fate for BMW's four-door missile. Every new M5 will be sold, and hopefully, used to its full potential.
- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com
Build quality 5/6
Features 6/6
Performance 6/6
Fun-to-drive 5/6
Overall value 6/6
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