2006 BMW M5 Review

Specifications

The Worlds Best Sport Sedan?

Having chosen the previous M5 as one of my all-time favorite cars, not necessarily for its styling but definitely due to its combination of mind-blowing performance and family functionality, I had high hopes for BMWs all-new, all-powerful replacement. And, for the most part, the sport sedan company didnt let me down, but its a very different animal from any previous M5.

Instead of a hands-on super-sedan, that reacts intuitively to both subtle and climactic input from a skilled driver via a nicely weighted conventional rack and pinion steering system, powerful four-wheel disc brakes, a velvety smooth six-speed manual transmission and a well-modulated clutch pedal, plus sporty bucket seats with seat hugging side-bolsters, and an ideally balanced fully-independent suspension setup that made the old midsize super-sedan feel like a pocket-sized sports car, the all-new 2007 model delivers superior steering, even more powerful four-wheel discs complemented by a number of three-letter acronym-dubbed electronic aids, a state-of-the-art 7-speed SMG sequential-manual gearbox, sporty buckets with active side-bolsters, and an active suspension system that makes it hard to put a wheel out of place. Truly, its better than the old M5 in every way, and depending on the eye of the beholder, is a lot more visually stimulating and therefore more supercar-like to look at.

Yes, to put it bluntly, Im blown away with the new M5. Its stunning to the eyes, and like its regular 5-Series donor car breaks almost every conventional styling rule on its way to obliterating the previous, rather boring but still “girl next door” attractive design from the memory banks. I know that not everyone agrees with me on this subject, so Ill leave you with your own thoughts regarding BMWs not-so-new-anymore flaming surface design language. The regular 5 has been as sharply criticized on the inside, but once again I found the M5s interior wonderfully accommodating and updated carbon fiber trim perfectly suited to what is once again one the worlds most powerful sedans.

When I sat inside, I did what I normally do with modern luxury cars and played around with the many buttons. First of all, Im not really a gadget freak. Truly, while I own a new Bluetooth-equipped Blackberry and one of the smallest “real” laptops in existence, complete with a 2.0 GHz M-chip and a gig of ram, etc, etc, Im hardly an early adaptor and could care less if my cellphone doesnt take photos or play mp3s. The only reason I fiddle around with the many buttons on a sport or luxury car is to figure out what they all do, so that I can report on their general functionality to you, the prospective buyer. What Id rather do is ignore the techno-gadgetry altogether, and just drive. The problem with, and I suppose benefit to the M5 is that making a few adjustments to its electronics system can make a big difference to how it performs.

Lesson 1: figure out which button to press so that its 400-horsepower default setting can be overridden to a full 507-horsepower. Turns out, this is really easy. On the center console just to the left of the stubby SMG shifter is a button that says “POWER”! Even I can figure this one out. While idling, pushing the power button on and off doesnt really make much of a difference, but even at steady throttle a switch to its full-juice mode immediately causes a reaction. Its like the car is suddenly on hyper-alert, ready for action and, with the flick of the throttle, leave any poor soul who dare see how much power his Audi RS6, Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, Maserati Quattroporte, or even his Ferrari 360 possesses, whimpering on the sidelines. Or maybe not. To be clear, there are plenty of cars that can out-accelerate the M5 from standstill to 60 mph, but from 50 mph to 80, or thereabouts, there are few that come close, and fewer still at its relatively affordable price point.

Yes, $81,200 is hardly bargain basement pricing (especially when factoring in the additional $3,000 gas guzzler tax), up against Porsches 911 with a few features, Jaguars new XKR and Maseratis Coupé GT in base trim, and when fully-loaded at $91,780, it targets supercars such as Dodges Viper SRT-10 and Maseratis Quattroporte. Of course, the only true four-door competitor on this aforementioned list is the Maserati sedan, with other super-sedans such as M-Bs E55 AMG or Cadillacs CTS-V or STS-V fully capable of vying for a podium position. None of these competitors offers the same levels of technical sophistication as the F1-inspired M5, but all delver smiles for miles as promised by their respective automakers. The E55 costs more than the M5 and brings less to the table (although maximum torque is much higher), a common formula that has caused the German rival to slip behind BMW in sales numbers. The Cadillacs are especially interesting, with the CTS-V targeting the M3 in price, at almost $30,000 less than the M5, but nearly matching the midsize BMW for interior roominess. Maximum output of its comparatively rudimentary OHV V8 is lower at 400-horsepower but torque is a bit higher at 395 lb-ft, while the much larger STS-V features a 469-horsepower supercharged dual overhead cam, 32-valve Northstar V8 with 439 lb-ft of torque; again, much more low-end oomph than available with the M5. The STS-V sports a slick six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode while the CTS-V goes one step farther than even the BMW, offering a six-speed manual.

Sportier than a seven-speed sequential-manual? Yup. Actually, while its difficult to find fault with the M5s 5.0-liter V10 powerplant, that never seems to want to stop revving all the way up to 8,250 rpm and sounds sensational when outside the vehicle near the fat, quad tailpipes, an M-series signature, the SMG transmission shifts too slowly, despite having been given a 20 percent shift-speed upgrade. Even Audis comparatively bargain-basement A3 2.0T fits in a much more enticing sequential-manual gearbox, delivering lightning-quick shifts. The M5s SMG isnt anywhere near as smooth as Audis DSG, to the point of making its driver and all passengers bob back and forth in their chairs thanks to the annoying hesitation between intervals - even at its fastest non-race spec Drivelogic setting. I tweaked it as far as it could go without canceling its traction and stability control features, something I wasnt willing to do given the rainy test day. If only it had a manual gearbox I could have modulated the clutch to smooth out the shifts so that those riding along wouldnt have been so uncomfortable. Its difficult to say whether I could have changed gears any faster with a DIY mixer, but I would have made it smoother and I definitely wouldve felt more in control. This in mind, under full throttle the hesitation wasnt quite as pronounced. Downshifting blips the throttle which makes you sound like a pro to passersby, yet more importantly matches the engines revs to the chosen gear. Of course, the little Audi does this too, as do the sequential-manual transmissions in Ferrari and Maserati models.

While still wishing for a faster shifting SMG, I headed for the rural hills on my days voyage - I actually took a full day away from the editorial desk to fully road test this car. As mentioned, the weather didnt cooperate, with a rain that came down so powerfully at some points that I couldnt help but pull back a touch when tackling winding corners. On the positive, however, the thoroughly soaked road conditions helped me to experience just how capable this suspension system is; assisted by various electronic aids, mind you.

First and foremost, M5s dynamic drive (active roll stabilization - ARS) offers amazing maneuverability at all speeds, making it one of the most, if not the most agile sedan currently available - Maserati will contest this, saying that theyve lapped a number of tracks faster in their Quattroporte, despite its 100+ horsepower deficit. Nevertheless, it is relatively easy to negotiate in tighter areas, like parking garages and while parallel parking, while it is stunningly capable in the corners and incredibly stable at high speed - which is rather important at the M5s 155 mph rev-limited top speed, or even more critical if, like many, you were to chip the super-sedan to achieve its actual unlimited 205 mph maximum velocity.

Dynamic Drive, by the way, effectually flattens out curves, adjusting to road surface imperfections virtually before the actual bumps and dips occur, therefore the M5s ride is not only smoother than some competitors super-sport sedans, but its handling is otherworldly. Along with Dynamic Drive, the M5 also incorporates DSC III with two selectable driving dynamics programs, Electronic Damper Control with comfort, normal and sport modes, and a variable, torque-sensing differential lock.

While the M5 takes advantage of these electro-mechanical driving aids, also available on lesser models, each, like the reworked 5-Series suspension, has been modified for the specialized sedans higher performance. Uprated brakes have been added too, featuring twin-piston aluminum sliding calipers, resulting in 50 mph to standstill in only 118 feet. And believe me, the feeling of applying full binders from high-speed is almost as thrilling as reversing the process. Even in the torrential conditions, with rivulets cascading down stretches of pavement, the M5 made no excuses when panic-like braking tests were performed.

And with such high thresholds of performance, it begs the question: is BMWs M5 the best sport sedan in the world? I would have immediately said yes to this question four years ago, after spending an equal length of time with the previous iteration. In many ways, six manually actuated forward speeds being some of them, I still like it more than the new one. Sure the old car didnt have as much real metal trim inside, nor did its seats actively embrace your backside as the new M5 takes on corners, the mechanical equivalent of a girl on the back of your sportbike holding on for her life as you wind your way up Californias Bouquet Canyon. That feature was pretty cool, by the way, and for those who find it distracting, can be defeated, but back to the argument Im building on behalf of pure simplicity in sport sedans, the 2006 M5 is a geeks tour de force. If youve made big money coding high-stakes poker websites or masterminding a cure to the virus that your online-buddy created in the first place, this high-tech machine is for you. If youre less turned on by electronics and more into the pure sport of driving, well, its still an insanely fun vehicle, but Id stick with the old M5. Overall the previous-generation is more hands on, but not because the new car is all that much heavier. Actually, BMW should be commended for adding all of its electronics while increasing weight by a mere 10 lbs. Still, the new M5 hits the scales at a gluttonously overweight 4,034 pounds.

And as long as were up in the heavyweight territory, Bentleys new Continental Flying Spur is a pretty amazing sport sedan, as well but I suppose its more of a sport-limo and at twice the price, in a different league. Im a giant fan of Maseratis well-mannered Quattroporte too, the car getting the nod from a styling standpoint alone. And as long as were talking styling, what about Mercs sensational CLS AMG 55? Porsche has a four-door on the way, the Panamera, which will no doubt rival the best in the business, and at the higher end once again, Aston Martins upcoming Rapide should do some damage to Bentleys sales. But at the end of the day, if it were my money going down on the ultimate sport sedan, I think it would have to be Mitsubishis EVO IX MR or Subarus WRX STi, at less than half the price of the Bimmer. These two are outrageously talented performers, delivering a “tossability” the big-BMW cant. Id probably even opt for Chryslers 300C SRT8 first, or the Dodge Charger variant. Rude, crude and underdeveloped by BMWs standards no doubt, but at least as much fun to drive this side of a racetrack. Now, if BMW dropped a manual transmission into the M5, or even a much quicker-shifting, smoother operating SMG gearbox, this scenario might change completely. Its the cars weakness, unfortunately.

So, at the end of my ever-so-wet daylong drive, capped at both ends with two equally wet but nevertheless stimulating days shuttling around town, I was both blown away with the M5s performance and, then again, somewhat dismayed. To me, its not the ideal sport sedan, but I have to believe some will find it a perfect fit. Therefore, Id rather you didnt take my word for it completely, and find out for yourself by taking one for a ride. Something as peculiar (and I dont mean peculiar in a negative way) as the M5 needs to be experienced first-hand to be fully appreciated, and when youve done so you can either agree with me or tell me that Im a fool - it certainly wouldnt be the first time with regards to the latter. But before you go nattering off about how nuts I am, make sure youve done what I have and spent equal time in the drivers seats of its rivals. Each has particular elements that make it worthy of your attention, even the lower priced models from Subaru, Mitsubishi, Chrysler Group and Cadillac. One thing that these competitors wont give you, however, is that fabulous blue and white roundel on the hood and rear trunk lid, and the even more highly respected M5 badge; and this, my friends, is an unquantifiable value.