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Have you ever looked forward to something, built it up in your mind, and then been let down or bitterly disappointed? I've done this to myself with movies, trips, gadgets, and yes - even cars. However, after seven days and 2400 km on German backroads in a new M5, I can tell you this is definitely NOT one of those times. My expectations were high and they were fully satisfied!
This review is focussed on how the car works, not how it looks. For the curious, my spec is Singapore Grey with black Full Leather interior. No rear seat entertainment (I'll provide the entertainment thx) and no night vision. Otherwise fully optioned.
Every new car experience starts at a dealership and good experiences are nice to find. Hats off to Doug, Jack, and the team at Edmonton BMW for making the purchase and European delivery experiences uniformly positive.
The BMW European Delivery experience is polished and everyone at the Welt looked after us very well. The presentation of the car was memorable, but paled in comparison to the driving experience, which, for me, is all about engagement with the road via the car. Steering feel, suspension setup, throttle response, and gear box function along with mechanical grip define what I care most about.
The sum of the parts is a very impressive 'whole'. The driver is well-positioned to see and feel everything required to attack the road, or when the opportunity presents itself, to sit back and cruise in comfort. Power is, to borrow a term, 'adequate' even while observing the BMW recommended run in limits of 4500 rpm and 'permanent top speed no greater than 170 km/hr'. (What does THAT mean? I took it say speed should not exceed the limit for very long...) Steering feel is decent by modern 'isolate the driver' standards, and the adjustability of throttle, gearbox, and damper response covers a range that ought to satisfy
almost everyone.
Gearbox
The M5 is spec'd with a 7 speed dual clutch automated manual gearbox rather than a 'proper' manual with a clutch and gear shift. This choice represents the most difficult part of ordering the car. Every other car I've owned has required me to take a more active role in changing gears, and it was really out of respect for the BMW engineers' design intent that I decided to try the dual clutch box. From where I sit right now, I think I made the right choice, but I've got a bit of learning to do before I can claim to drive this car the way I want to on the race track.
Efficiency mode in either auto or sequential configuration does a great job of minimizing fuel consumption and softening the edge that comes with more assertive settings. Comfortable, smooth, and relaxed are the correct descriptive words. I didn't engage efficiency shift mode very much.
Sport Plus shift mode promises the ultimate response and performance experience. Right? That's where I started and it certainly wakes the car up! Shifts are crisp, solid, and perhaps even a bit harsh. (I might have been more decisive about shift harshness if I hadn't driven an Aventador on the track a couple of months ago. Corsa mode, Lamborgini's version of Sport Plus, under WOT acceleration is a recipe for whiplash. Fun, but worryingly hard on the drive train and occupants alike.) I didn't use Sport Plus in auto mode as the shift points were significantly in excess of run in rev limits, but I think I'll be manually shifting this car most of the time anyhow. My only real beef with Sport Plus manual is with down shifting. Although there's an appropriate throttle blip to match revs, when the clutch reengages, engine braking is significant enough to upset the car, particularly in trail braking / late downshifting situations. A good heel/toe downshift in a proper manual is smoother and provides a more natural opportunity to modulate engine braking with a bit of maintenance throttle. I expect I'll learn this skill with the dual clutch setup, but not this week.
Sport shifting speeds up the gear changes substantially compared to efficiency, and remains decently smooth. Smooth enough to keep your passenger's head from jerking forward during shifts, and smooth enough to keep 'shock loading' out of the gear train's load history. In automatic configuration, the shift map is remarkably sympathetic with enthusiastic and spirited driving. If you get caught needing to attack a road in this mode, you'll find that crisp shifts at reasonable but assertive revs will get the job done. If you lift, the car will hold the gear anticipating reapplication of the throttle and will upshift only when moderate throttle is applied. Downshifts are a little slower than Sport Plus, but the payback is that engine braking is less obtrusive and the shift is smoother. Almost as smooth as I'd do it myself - on a good day. Of course not every downshift in a proper manual is perfect, and I'd never want to go up against the dual clutch system in a contest of consistency, but then again, striving for the perfect downshift - every time- is part of the joy of driving and when the car does it for you, something is lost. (Reflective pause.....)
Throttle reponse
BMW has done several clever things to minimize the time between when the driver provides throttle input and when torque is delivered. Let's call this delay 'lag' as a catch all term, although some will recognize there is a difference between time required to achieve the rpm necessary to spool the turbos and the time to transition from off-boost to on-boost at engines speeds greater than the spool rpm.
Key items that maximize responsiveness are:
- Minimized exhaust manifold length achieved by positioning exhaust manifold and turbo chargers inside the V. Shorter length reduces response time.
- Efficient transfer of exhaust energy to turbo chargers by delivering correctly timed individual exhaust pulses to turbines. A combination of a clever cross flow manifold and twin scroll turbo chargers accomplishes this one.
- Minimized hot side volume achieved by use of air to liquid charge coolers (rather than an air to air unit) improves response by reducing the intake air volume that needs to be compressed.
- Wastegate programming provides the option of leaving the wastegate closed to keep the turbos spooled for quick response or leaving waste gates open to minimize exhaust back pressure and improve efficiency. (I want better control of this!)
In operation, to a driver conditioned to tolerate turbo lag in exchange for the benefits, the M5 feels very responsive. Particularly during sprited driving, it is difficult to discern the delay between commanded and delivered torque. Off-boost response is a slightly different story. My butt dyno says that the waste gates remain closed (keeping turbos spooled) in Sport and Sport Plus throttle settings, but not in the Efficiency setting. This would all be fine and good if I preferred a map that provides more throttle during the initial throttle opening, but I don't. I prefer a map that enables me to modulate the (substantial) available torque rather than slamming me with the excitement of more throttle than I indended, perhaps during a corner exit. In an effort to evaluate 'lag' in normal highway driving, I measured lag in top gear at about 120 km/hr and found it to take nearly a second with the Effiency throttle map and less than half than in Sport/Sport Plus to go from 'easy cruise' to 'full boost'. In the world of turbo charged cars this is very very good, but to those accustomed to NA engine response it may be disappointing. In the words of a good friend who drives an E39M5, "By the time the throttle is fully opened, the car has been accelerating for quite some time!" This is an area where the downside of forced induction has been minimized, but not quite eliminated.
Steering
Steering feel get's a passing grade, but with some qualification. Modern cars seem to isolate the driver from the road so consistently that any feedback through the steering wheel is a welcome surprise. Irregularities in the road come through, but the feedback I really appreciate through the steering wheel relates to available grip through the front tires. For example, I've driven cars where steering weight is directly and significantly proportional to the amount of steering input, until grip starts to run out at which time steering effort drops off. This is even more meaningful than feeling the road surface through the wheel. In any case, I was unable to detect a meaningful difference in steering feel between the three available settings. Steering effort definitely increased with Sport, and even more with Sport Plus, but without a corresponding increase in direct feedback from the road surface, the increased effort seems pointless.Perhaps things change at the limit... I'll need to find out!
Suspension
Suspension setup has a profound influence on vehicle dynamics, NVH, and (after tires) even mechanical grip. In comfort mode, the M5 is, well, comfortable and well behaved. The car feels responsive in most road situations and it's only during hard cornering, particularly with rapid left/right transitions, that body roll becomes evident and a quick change to Sport damping is required. The car then becomes more responsive to steering inputs and feels more stable and sure footed. Fun, to be sure! Although I used Sport Plus damping on occasion, I don't have any useful observations, so I'll leave it at that. Past experience would suggest that in Sport Plus, connection to the pavement will be superior on smooth roads, but suffer on irregular surfaces.
This review is focussed on how the car works, not how it looks. For the curious, my spec is Singapore Grey with black Full Leather interior. No rear seat entertainment (I'll provide the entertainment thx) and no night vision. Otherwise fully optioned.
Every new car experience starts at a dealership and good experiences are nice to find. Hats off to Doug, Jack, and the team at Edmonton BMW for making the purchase and European delivery experiences uniformly positive.
The BMW European Delivery experience is polished and everyone at the Welt looked after us very well. The presentation of the car was memorable, but paled in comparison to the driving experience, which, for me, is all about engagement with the road via the car. Steering feel, suspension setup, throttle response, and gear box function along with mechanical grip define what I care most about.
The sum of the parts is a very impressive 'whole'. The driver is well-positioned to see and feel everything required to attack the road, or when the opportunity presents itself, to sit back and cruise in comfort. Power is, to borrow a term, 'adequate' even while observing the BMW recommended run in limits of 4500 rpm and 'permanent top speed no greater than 170 km/hr'. (What does THAT mean? I took it say speed should not exceed the limit for very long...) Steering feel is decent by modern 'isolate the driver' standards, and the adjustability of throttle, gearbox, and damper response covers a range that ought to satisfy
almost everyone.
Gearbox
The M5 is spec'd with a 7 speed dual clutch automated manual gearbox rather than a 'proper' manual with a clutch and gear shift. This choice represents the most difficult part of ordering the car. Every other car I've owned has required me to take a more active role in changing gears, and it was really out of respect for the BMW engineers' design intent that I decided to try the dual clutch box. From where I sit right now, I think I made the right choice, but I've got a bit of learning to do before I can claim to drive this car the way I want to on the race track.
Efficiency mode in either auto or sequential configuration does a great job of minimizing fuel consumption and softening the edge that comes with more assertive settings. Comfortable, smooth, and relaxed are the correct descriptive words. I didn't engage efficiency shift mode very much.
Sport Plus shift mode promises the ultimate response and performance experience. Right? That's where I started and it certainly wakes the car up! Shifts are crisp, solid, and perhaps even a bit harsh. (I might have been more decisive about shift harshness if I hadn't driven an Aventador on the track a couple of months ago. Corsa mode, Lamborgini's version of Sport Plus, under WOT acceleration is a recipe for whiplash. Fun, but worryingly hard on the drive train and occupants alike.) I didn't use Sport Plus in auto mode as the shift points were significantly in excess of run in rev limits, but I think I'll be manually shifting this car most of the time anyhow. My only real beef with Sport Plus manual is with down shifting. Although there's an appropriate throttle blip to match revs, when the clutch reengages, engine braking is significant enough to upset the car, particularly in trail braking / late downshifting situations. A good heel/toe downshift in a proper manual is smoother and provides a more natural opportunity to modulate engine braking with a bit of maintenance throttle. I expect I'll learn this skill with the dual clutch setup, but not this week.
Sport shifting speeds up the gear changes substantially compared to efficiency, and remains decently smooth. Smooth enough to keep your passenger's head from jerking forward during shifts, and smooth enough to keep 'shock loading' out of the gear train's load history. In automatic configuration, the shift map is remarkably sympathetic with enthusiastic and spirited driving. If you get caught needing to attack a road in this mode, you'll find that crisp shifts at reasonable but assertive revs will get the job done. If you lift, the car will hold the gear anticipating reapplication of the throttle and will upshift only when moderate throttle is applied. Downshifts are a little slower than Sport Plus, but the payback is that engine braking is less obtrusive and the shift is smoother. Almost as smooth as I'd do it myself - on a good day. Of course not every downshift in a proper manual is perfect, and I'd never want to go up against the dual clutch system in a contest of consistency, but then again, striving for the perfect downshift - every time- is part of the joy of driving and when the car does it for you, something is lost. (Reflective pause.....)
Throttle reponse
BMW has done several clever things to minimize the time between when the driver provides throttle input and when torque is delivered. Let's call this delay 'lag' as a catch all term, although some will recognize there is a difference between time required to achieve the rpm necessary to spool the turbos and the time to transition from off-boost to on-boost at engines speeds greater than the spool rpm.
Key items that maximize responsiveness are:
- Minimized exhaust manifold length achieved by positioning exhaust manifold and turbo chargers inside the V. Shorter length reduces response time.
- Efficient transfer of exhaust energy to turbo chargers by delivering correctly timed individual exhaust pulses to turbines. A combination of a clever cross flow manifold and twin scroll turbo chargers accomplishes this one.
- Minimized hot side volume achieved by use of air to liquid charge coolers (rather than an air to air unit) improves response by reducing the intake air volume that needs to be compressed.
- Wastegate programming provides the option of leaving the wastegate closed to keep the turbos spooled for quick response or leaving waste gates open to minimize exhaust back pressure and improve efficiency. (I want better control of this!)
In operation, to a driver conditioned to tolerate turbo lag in exchange for the benefits, the M5 feels very responsive. Particularly during sprited driving, it is difficult to discern the delay between commanded and delivered torque. Off-boost response is a slightly different story. My butt dyno says that the waste gates remain closed (keeping turbos spooled) in Sport and Sport Plus throttle settings, but not in the Efficiency setting. This would all be fine and good if I preferred a map that provides more throttle during the initial throttle opening, but I don't. I prefer a map that enables me to modulate the (substantial) available torque rather than slamming me with the excitement of more throttle than I indended, perhaps during a corner exit. In an effort to evaluate 'lag' in normal highway driving, I measured lag in top gear at about 120 km/hr and found it to take nearly a second with the Effiency throttle map and less than half than in Sport/Sport Plus to go from 'easy cruise' to 'full boost'. In the world of turbo charged cars this is very very good, but to those accustomed to NA engine response it may be disappointing. In the words of a good friend who drives an E39M5, "By the time the throttle is fully opened, the car has been accelerating for quite some time!" This is an area where the downside of forced induction has been minimized, but not quite eliminated.
Steering
Steering feel get's a passing grade, but with some qualification. Modern cars seem to isolate the driver from the road so consistently that any feedback through the steering wheel is a welcome surprise. Irregularities in the road come through, but the feedback I really appreciate through the steering wheel relates to available grip through the front tires. For example, I've driven cars where steering weight is directly and significantly proportional to the amount of steering input, until grip starts to run out at which time steering effort drops off. This is even more meaningful than feeling the road surface through the wheel. In any case, I was unable to detect a meaningful difference in steering feel between the three available settings. Steering effort definitely increased with Sport, and even more with Sport Plus, but without a corresponding increase in direct feedback from the road surface, the increased effort seems pointless.Perhaps things change at the limit... I'll need to find out!
Suspension
Suspension setup has a profound influence on vehicle dynamics, NVH, and (after tires) even mechanical grip. In comfort mode, the M5 is, well, comfortable and well behaved. The car feels responsive in most road situations and it's only during hard cornering, particularly with rapid left/right transitions, that body roll becomes evident and a quick change to Sport damping is required. The car then becomes more responsive to steering inputs and feels more stable and sure footed. Fun, to be sure! Although I used Sport Plus damping on occasion, I don't have any useful observations, so I'll leave it at that. Past experience would suggest that in Sport Plus, connection to the pavement will be superior on smooth roads, but suffer on irregular surfaces.
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