BMW M5 review: Hybrid powertrain delivers 717bhp and supercar-shaming performance

Irish Examiner

14 hours ago

OCCASIONALLY in this gig, you come across something special; very occasionally, you come across something very, very special. This week we drive something that fits into the latter category.
Now, like all petrolheads, we have long rejoiced at the altar of the supercar, be they Ferraris, Zondas, Maseratis, or whatever. Their products are the lifeblood that fuels the beating heart of any motoring enthusiast — and so it should be. But, in fairness, they are about as accessible to Joe and Jane Public as North Korea and cost as much as a ticket to the moon.
As I have long pointed out, however, some alternatives boast as much grunt as any supercar and cost a small fraction of what you would have to invest to buy something from Maranello or Modena.
Most manufacturers have some form of performance arm — with Fiat, it is Abarth; Renault has Alpine; Toyota has Gazoo Racing, and so on.
At the upper end of the automotive food chain — the one that's somewhat accessible to Jane or Joe — you have AMG souping up Mercedes products while, over at BMW, the M sports division is where the action is at.
It is the latter we focus upon this week as we try the unbelievable — we could run out of such adjectives before the end here — the new BMW M5.
For ordinary punters, there is a certain magic about a Beemer with an 'M' designation, endowing any vehicle lucky enough to have received the attention of the designers and engineers in Munich with the sort of legacy endorsement that most car makers would die to have.
The BMW M plant at Garching, near Munich, certainly has seen many classics roll off its production lines, not least of which have been several generations of the M5, which have been the subject matter for much discussion among fans.
After all, there have been six, eight, and 10-cylinder motors utilised in the making of various iterations of the M5 down the years, each sparking much debate as to which is the best. It is 40 years since the first one was made and each subsequent version had its lovers and haters. Such is the way of modern discourse.
The M5 stylish interior
Undoubtedly, the new one too will come in for criticism, largely on the basis that it is no longer a 'pure' M5 because BMW has decided to make it a hybrid. This, of course, adds to the car's potency and gives it some semblance of green credentials but it also makes it rather heavier — kerb weight is now a whopping 2435kg — than anything that preceded it.
People can pick and choose the facts and figures they want to bandy about when it comes to the dimensions, lardiness, and performance of the new M5 to credit it or discredit it but it is still a performer for whom the word 'sensational' does not necessarily do it credit.
You can bicker about the exhaust note now being synthesised to try to give the 4.4 litre V8 twin-turbo some bark, or the fact that the rear wheel arches have been flared considerably for the first time, or even that they retained the engine configuration from the previous one (with the addition of an electric motor within the eight-speed auto gearbox) but the fact of the matter is that BMW has still come up with a monster.
There is 717bhp on offer here — I can remember a time not so long ago when Formula One cars weren't as potent as that. If that one figure alone does not stir something deep in your bowels, then you cannot ever claim to be a petrolhead. Add to that the 1,000Nm of torque and you have something with a governed nominal top speed of 250km/h (300 with the optional M Driver package) and a 3.5-second 0-100km/h capability — and you've got something which is treading on the toes of the supercar sector.
OK, so the 0-100 time has gone up by two-tenths of a second by comparison with the last one but the torque-to-weight ratio is much better and the manufacturer— rightly, in my view — claims it is an even faster overtaking prospect than was previously the case.
With full-time four-wheel drive and a wide rear track (hence, the flared wheel arches) for stability, BMW has made a monster that doesn't really seem like one when you're behind the wheel. Certainly, the acceleration is shocking and mind-blowing and all that but, unless you're of an extremely nervous disposition, it's never overwhelming.
The BMW M5
Despite its added girth, this M5 feels lighter than its predecessor — and faster. Sure, you can mick-act around in EV mode only and witness modest performance for about 70km but, when you stoke the flames, this thing delivers shattering deeds of capability.
Someone asked me, while I had the car, what it was that stood out and, having pondered the question for a moment, I replied that it was the ability to do things at a time and place you would previously never even have considered trying.
Mid-range acceleration is devastating and, as if that weren't enough if you take a long pull on the left-hand shift paddle, the car's electronic brain primes the system to deliver maximum thrust, which is nothing short of astonishing.
Most people might reasonably be afraid of selecting anything other than the 'comfort' suspension setting — in which the car rides with poise and purpose — but the truth is that the handling characteristics are so well sorted that you would have to be psychotic to get it seriously out of shape. There are those, inevitably, who will try but the fact of the matter is simply that you don't have to because the car is so good and capable.
I could witter on at length about the interior decor, the electronics, and all the driver aids but, suffice to say, there is nothing that needs to be questioned here, although the navigating of some of the sub-menus to find hidden tricks or other magic is decidedly tortuous.
Throw in the fact that this is a five-seat saloon with a huge, human-friendly interior and comfort levels that are premium-plus, and has a practical, sizeable, boot, and you have something that can do everyday things while having otherworld capabilities.
Sure, it comes with a hefty price tag but if you were to look at the cost of comparably performing supercars, the asking money is paltry. People may bat back and forth their opinions on the necessity of going down the hybrid route but the results are still as outlandish as they should be for an 'M' designated car.
A truly mind-blowing piece of kit.
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