Test drive BMW M5 E39 1998 - 2004 sedan
The smell of power
What does the force smell like? No, not a fist, a classmate that was once stuck under your nose, but real power? Today we know for sure: it smells like the smoking tires of the BMW M5 ...The BMW M5 differs slightly from its unrelated relatives. Only a few elements in the exterior of the car notify that in front of you is really the most powerful bomb for today: bumpers, unlike those that put on ordinary serial machines; 18-inch discs with wide low-profile tires; Somewhat different, more aerodynamic, external mirrors and four stainless trunks of the exhaust system.
At the entrance to the car, it is impossible not to notice the huge M on the threshold. Next, you note another steering wheel, more sports seats and a slightly modified instrument shield: instead of an eco -meter in the lower segment of the tachometer, an oil temperature sensor is installed.
By the way, about oil. The M5 is equipped with a 400-horsepower V-shaped eight-cylinder engine with a dry crankcase. In order for the oil, regardless of the traffic mode, it is uninterrupted to all the lubricating details (with a sufficiently large side acceleration, under the influence of inertia, oils can be observed), engineers provided for three pumps instead of two - one escalating and two pumping out.
In general, the engine of this Emka is a concentrate of recent achievements in engineering. Here is an aluminum unit, and forged pistons, and completely metal gaskets of the block head, and a cooling system with a pump that can pump 380 liters of coolant per minute, and the Double Vanos system that changes the intake and release phases depending on the operating modes, and much more .
This 4.9-liter monster is also a handsome man, which can be easily verified by jerking the hood opening handle. However, having said anyone, we, of course, got excited. People capable of paying $ 112,000 for a car, we still have a little more, and it is hardly possible to rent such a car. In any case, in Russia. Therefore, not everyone will come to feel the real power of this motor. But we were lucky and, we admit, we have not received a similar charge of thrill for a long time.
However, the first kilometers of paths passed quite everyday. Emka practically did not betray her prais. ABS, DBC, ASC and DSC make sure that the car does not tear off the drive wheels in the wrap, does not slip in the turn and remains on the previous course even with emergency braking. Moreover, the electronics is so correct that the driver even begins to get the impression that such a dynamic and safe riding - exclusively of him, drivers, a merit. Only common sense and experience (albeit insignificant) communicate with such cars are kept from disconnecting at least part of electronic spies.
The only thing we allowed ourselves was to press the sport button on the central console. And at the same instant, the stroke of the gas pedal, according to the sensations, became two times shorter: you will touch it a little, and the tachometer arrow soars to seven thousand revolutions. Only time to jam the program.
There are six of them (too many, in our opinion), and the fifth is considered a straight line. The crazy torque of the engine of 500 Nm allows you to cost two, maximum three steps. The first is acceleration, the third is acceleration, the fifth is straight. Both dynamics are at the highest level, and to wield less hand.
Speaking seriously, the gear rates of the box are selected very competently. The fact that the car accelerates in just 5.3 seconds, there is its merit. But we could not squeeze the maximum 250 km/h, as you know, we have no road and speed restriction that is not the same in Germany. But there is no doubt that the car will be completely calm at this speed. The thrust supply is huge, which is also convinced of the tachometer arrow - in the sixth gear at a speed of 100 km/h, the engine speed is only 1700 min -1.
Activation of the Sports button affects the behavior of not only gas pedals - the steering wheel is poured with weight, the reactions of the car become even more acute. It is only a pity that a wonderful button does not affect the operation of shock absorbers. Still, the suspension of such a charged car should be, in our opinion, more evil. The car, of course, does not fall in corners, but still the krenes should be smaller.
The suspension, by the way, is somewhat different here than on ordinary five. The front, in particular, shortened springs and more rigid shock absorbers; The back has the lower levers from the station wagon and hinge joints instead of some rubber -metal silent blocks.
It would seem that the hardness of the body should have changed, but no - it remained the same. According to the Germans, Emke has enough of it with excess. As, however, the engine power.
Of course, we could not help but make sure of this.
Lord, thank you for holding from a rash act. Honestly, it’s hard to even imagine what could happen, turn off the entire electronics somewhere on one of the Moscow streets. The first two or three seconds, probably, the car would be under control, but what would happen next! .. We allowed the car to free ourselves from electronic shackles only in the fenced territory of the BMW driver’s skill on Khodynka.
Our first throw from the fence to the fence with a bang failed. The car simply stood still, frantically rotating the wheels on the asphalt. Then he, of course, set off, but precious seconds were already lost at the start. And this despite the fact that no one even thought of throwing a clutch. They did everything as expected, only at the final stage they pressed the gas pedal to the floor. (By the way, the wheels went in wire both in the second and third gear.)
Then we tried to turn around in place. You know: the steering wheel and gas to failure. Usually in rear -wheel drive cars this can only be done on wet asphalt. Here, without the slightest work, we did everything completely dry. And even overdid it: Emka twice turned around her axis!
In general, having estimated that it will not be possible to curb the car during the time that it is with us, they returned control over it to electronics.
Under her supervision, everything further - passing turns, rearrangement, emergency braking, etc. - it was no longer so interesting, because it took place like clockwork.
But, we believe, the smell of pale rubber will pursue us for a long time ...
Technical characteristics BMW M5
The body is absurd., All -metal.
Number of places, people. - five
Equipped mass, kg - 1795
Full mass, kg - 2290
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm - 4784/1800/1437
Base, mm - 2830
Maximum speed, km/h - 250 (robber. Electronics)
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, s - 5.3
Control consumption of fuel, l/100 km:
- City cycle - 21.1
- Zagorod - 9.8
- mixed - 13.9
Engine:
- Type - V8
- working volume, cm3 - 4941
- Power, L.S. at MIN -1 - 400/6600
- torque, NM at min -1 - 500/3800
- power system - multi -point injection
Transmission - mechanical., 6 -speed
Tire size (front; rear) - 245/40ZR18; 275/35zr18
Wheel suspension - independent
Brakes - disk, ventilated
Steering - with a hydraulic wrap
Price, $ - 112000
Text: Oleg Kalaushin
A source: Magazine 5 wheel
