As many of you know, I had the privelage of driving the M5 a week and a half ago. The first thing I want to point out is that this car is different than any other car I have ever driven. Its rediculously fast and rediculously fun to drive.
The first time I got in the car I realized very quickly that this car is different than most others just by the ambiance of the interior. You walk in and somehow you feel special to be in the presence of this road going God of an automobile. The smell is different, the stitching and leather feels different, the seats are different, and the feeling one gets while sitting is different. I have never been in a car that had such a big impression on a passenger just by stepping into the interior. So basically you walk in the car and quickly realize that this is something special. In fact the only car I ever felt that way about was when my dad brought home a silver E39 M5. Both cars have that M atmosphere that may only be found in the M5's.
Having keyless ignition, I step into the car with the keys in my pocket and press "engine start" button. The engine comes alive with a very milky rumble. Its not a diesel sound like many other people have said but more of a funky vibrating sound. Its not quiet to say the least but it certainly doesnt sound like a deisel. Anyway, the car is awsome. I shift the knob into drive and found that its not similar to any other car I have ever.
I have had experience driving a 993 turbo quite a bit but that was nothing like or similar to the M5. When you step on the gas in a 993 turbo the G's knock you back in your seat and the car feels absolutely frightening. You speed up at a rediculous pace. The M5 acceleration is quite a bit different. You step on the gas in the M5 and the car feels like a rocket but more of a smart bomb compared to the supidly overpowered turbo. Instead of several G's pushing you back the M5 has definitely a smoother torque curve than the turbo. It pulls you to speed very fast but not as fast as the turbo especially at lower speeds. The turbo hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds which is very quick compared to the M5's 4.5 seconds. But speeds above that, 80 to 140 mph, the M5 smokes the turbo because the M5 has to rev to 5500 Rpm for that full torque and horese power to kick in.
It seemed to me that the faster I drove the M5 the more confident it felt weaving in and out of traffic. I found that going 120 in out of cars was easier than going 80. Even so the car was fasster than porsche accelerating on freeway speeds.
I also had the experience of driving the 330i which is somewhat similar to the expereince of driving the M5. The 330 is very confident yet its extremely difficult to convince it to oversteer. The M5 is quite easy. You simply build the reves up around a turn, hit the gas and the tail whips out controllably. Its the most confident over steer I have ever experienced (of course I would never do that in the turbo because I would likely kill myself
) The 330i is very similar though when weaving in and out of traffic, it certainly isnt as fast but the car is stable and has absolutely no body roll through high speed and low speed turning. The 330 is much like the M5 in this way yet it still doesnt feel nearly as fast while accelerating. Also one thing to note is that the 3's steering is a lot heavier than the M5s. It feels more like a direct steering ratio. Even so the M5 felt somewhat better during highway weaving than the 3 although the 330 is almost on par in the bends. Actually I felt more confident in the 3 around bends than the Porsche turbo.
I've also had the privelage of driving a 645. THe feeling of these cars are totally different. The torque on the 6 kicks in at a much lower RPM. The torque on the M5 is most potent as the rev count goes to 5500 through 8000 RPM. Nevertheless the 6 is a great car.
I did however take a Mercedes Benz CLK 500 on a high speed run with a couple of my friends. This car felt nothing like the M5. It was fast but just not nearly as fast (obviously). The M5 felt as though it could hit 200 easily while the CLK struggled very hard to get passed 130. Also while going that fast in the CLK the car had tremendous body roll around the turns on the freeway. The M5 was able to weave through traffic and stay flat through the bends even at 135+ mph. The cars are totally different from each other but the CLK 500 doesnt compete with the M5 so i cant compare it to a CLS 55 or E55 unfortunately.
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concerns...lol