Unless you spot the quad exhausts, fender vents and massive blue brake calipers hovering over cross-drilled rotors the size of trash-can lids, you mightn't give the new
2012 BMW M5 a second glance. The enormous wheels and front bumper with more air intakes and heat exchangers than a commercial air conditioner are discreet, too.
The result of a group of calculator-wielding German engineers hell-bent on performance superiority, the 2012 BMW M5 (with a $116k price tag, as tested) is a clean and tidy super-sedan.
On one hand, the 2012 BMW M5 is a peaceful, tranquil thing to drive. On the other, there's no need whatsoever for this level of performance in a sedan. And that's exactly why BMW's going to sell a lot of them.
Luxury-car cabin
Inside, this family-ready rocket-thruster is strangely quiet, comfortable and lovely, too. The red leather, chrome, metal, suede and stitching all say “cross-continental comfort” more than “melt-your-face-off acceleration.” There's an adult-friendly backseat, heaps of room and world-class build quality.
For something developed to be absolutely track ready, you'd hardly know it from a mere glance.
The 2012 BMW M5 slips down the road without making a fuss. It's quiet in traffic. It's not scary, not attention-grabbing, and the fire-up noise doesn't send nearby creatures scurrying for cover. You can, however, spot clues inside. The speedometer reaches over the 300 km/hr mark. There are shift paddles behind the steering wheel and BMW's colourful little M-badge is applied throughout, too.
There are numerous performance gizmos in the 2012 BMW M5, as well. Buttons change things like sequential gear-shift speed, shock stiffness, steering feel and overall system response. You can alter these settings in the central computer, assign them to the “M” buttons on the steering wheel and call up maximum, totally customized performance at the touch of a button.
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| Inside, this family-ready rocket-thruster is strangely quiet, comfortable and lovely, too. (Photo: Justin Pritchard) |
Twin turbo: two personalities
With the M button off in the 2012 BMW M5, it's all calm, quiet and long-haul tranquility. This is a car capable of decimating a track, then whisking its lucky owner home in the lap of luxury.
And that's remarkable, since the 2012 BMW M5 can do 0-100 clicks in 4.4 seconds and run a sub 8-minute lap of the Nurburgring. That's faster than some Ferraris. It'll get past an 18-wheeler almost as fast as you can roll your foot to the floor, too.
A new 4.4L V8 powers it all up. Twin turbochargers mounted between the cylinder banks cram up to 22 pounds of boost into the cylinders, helping generate 560 horsepower. That's nearly as much as two Mitsubishi Evolutions.
The new, boosted V8 lacks the pure, high-RPM snarl generated by the screamer V10 that powered the last-generation M5, and fans will miss the highly mechanical noise.
However, the new 2012 BMW M5 is faster and easier on fuel, which is just what M5 owners signing the cheques want. And it still growls up a storm while squeezing eyeballs flat at full throttle.
Even a slight press on the rightmost pedal causes the M5 to gush ahead with no downshift. Punch it, and you'd best be holding the heck on -- sort of like driving your own bullet train.
Speed piles on dangerously fast in the 2012 BMW M5 if you're on a road with a speed limit. Thanks to the giant brakes, it disappears quickly, too.
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| The 2012 BMW M5 can do 0-100 clicks in 4.4 seconds and run a sub 8-minute lap of the Nurburgring. (Photo: Justin Pritchard) |
Putting on a show
Driven hard, the 2012 BMW M5 is tight and responsive with an underlying feeling of mass and weight that's perfect for making drivers appreciate both its size and capabilities. Steering is stiff and heavy, and direct in any mode.
Translation? You exert some effort when driving the 2012 BMW M5 hard, and that pulls you further into its experience. No part of the M5's performance overwhelms any other, meaning you can take advantage of its engaging, race-sedan personality with confidence.
Paddle-activated gearchanges from the dual-clutch box are remarkably fast and perfectly rev matched in both directions. In its hardest shift setting (three are available), drivers enjoy a feeling of connectedness to, and control over, the drivetrain.
The BMW M5 might be refined and smooth, and perhaps even disappointingly quiet inside, but the unleashed M5's powertrain is extremely obedient and makes you very aware of what it's up to.
Complaints? I wished for a louder and more exciting sound from under the hood. There are a few too many safety beepers, and if you drive it hard, the M5's fuel tank will quickly wind up emptier than Lance Armstrong's trophy rack. I averaged 15L/100km overall, which is respectable.
Luxurious excessiveness
At the end of the day, an unmatched balance between power and luxury have sold countless copies of the M5, generated millions of loyal fans, and made it one of the most lusted after four-door machines on the road.
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