Test drive BMW M5 E60 since 2005 sedan

Magic formula

It would seem, what can surprise M5 after the M6? Having the same filling, the sedan is heavier and structurally easier than the compartment. And why is it needed after that?
But why. First: Sedan is a much more practical car. Second: it is cheaper for? 34,000. The third and, perhaps, the main thing - the M5 is an icon for any fan of the German brand. The icon, which is more important than M6, which only brightly flashed in the late eighties in the sky of the achievements of the M GmbH unit, while the constellation M5 shines there for many years. However, why to state the obvious, because the developers themselves put priorities: in a pair of new M5/m6, the first to be the M5 was born.
Personally, the sedan is closer to me than the pathos and an exorbitantly pouted six. I am more impressed by the appearance of the M5, based on the concept, proven for years. This is the concept of marginal universality. The concept of hidden energy that can disarm any opponent. The concept of the perfection of technology and the highest quality of execution. All this is in the meaningful appearance of the M5.
M5 is beautiful. In the best color version for him - black. On the best wheels-perfectly sitting in the arches of the lungs of 19-inch 10-spice disks. Traditionally, the car is deprived of posture. He is exactly what it looks like. Convincing.
While the M5 was at my disposal, I often wanted reality to become a computer game for a short while. Then I could reinforce the action a few minutes ago, turn on the view from the third person and from the best angles to view the beautiful moments of the M5 movement, listen to this unique voice from the side.
In the meantime, the gaze lingers on the faceted sides, clings to the wide arches, glides over the disks again. Four large-caliber barrels stick out from under the rear bumper. If you do not be too lazy and look under the car, you can see that each bell is functional - four barrels of the release system are hidden below. Between the trunks in the center of the bumper - diffuser. On the lid of the trunk - a lining that performs the function of anti -wing. The front wings are equipped with a characteristic of particularly fast BMW slot, and completes the picture of the M5 nameplate. They have remained unchanged since the first car of the fifth series in version M (E28 body) was released - this happened back in 1984.
The usual key, the usual ignition lock. Another fashionable hatchback of a golf class is ashamed to have such. But not m5. The collector of advanced technologies is not to the face of cheap electronic toys invented by marketers. Turn this car even from the handle - no one will say a word.
There is nothing superfluous inside. True, the decoration under the tree seems slightly inappropriate, the sporting mood does not answer. The black salon looks like in an ordinary five, however, the skin, which is covered with the top of the front panel and door, and Alcantara on the ceiling and racks remind: this five is unusual. The gaze falls on a tachometer with a red zone after 8000 revolutions, then on a speedometer, marked up to 330 km/h, and, finally, rests on the seeming toy control lever SMG -III gearbox. On the left side of the chair - the control keys. They are enough to form an ideal landing. It remains to find two round buttons and finally fix your body in the bucket, adjusting the degree of lateral support.
M5 has outstanding ergonomics. The diameter and section of the steering wheel is optimal, the floor gas pedal is convenient, the visibility is excellent. Devices are read great. But in some ways the Germans overdid it. Active lateral support is too aggressive. Especially the third regime - the rollers of the chair diligently support the sides of the front riders even with a slight deviation of the steering wheel. It tires. I admit that I resorted to the help of this feature three times and turned it off almost immediately. Perhaps it will be really useful in real racing conditions, but not in the city.
While the motor warms up, filling the space with a delicious sound of the V-shaped dozens, I go into a well-known IDRive menu and choose the M-mode settings item. Let me remind you that on the steering wheel there is a small button M, by pressing which, you activate the pre -executed settings of the car systems. In practice, it looks like this.
First step. The driver sets how active shock absorbers should work, for which program is the engine (from 400 to 507 hp), how quickly you need to switch SMG -III programs. It will also be necessary to give the directive a stabilization system - whether to enter into action or sleep calmly (a special mode of M Dynamic Mode is provided, allowing drifts and sliding, but connecting Dynamic Stability Control, when it comes to a critical situation). Step number two. Early Sunday morning. The owner rolls the M5 from the garage, warms up the motor and begins movement along an empty highway. After a while, he understands that it was time to press the button in order to accelerate from the heart. It is especially pleasant to do this by reaching 5000 revolutions. In Power mode, the engine adds 107 horses at once, and a tangible jerk will follow! Chip tuning in action. Shock absorbers are clamped, DCS stops choosing the motor at the exit of turns and with sharp accelerations, and M5 rushes, as scalded. The box shakes the body with sharp switching, each - a new portion of adrenaline! If you are calm enough to twist the motor as much as possible, then acceleration will be frantic in any gear. Personally, I liked the most how the car is gaining speed after 200 km/h and up to 270. It seems that this contradicts all the laws of physics! It is a pity that the limiter is triggered - the M5 has already given birth to a thirst for speed, which I really want to quench.
You can do this, constantly alternating accelerations and braking. And it is not clear in which case the sensations are more acute. Because if you fall with the whole body on the informative pedal of the brake, the car will stop at the spot, and overloads will literally be breathtaking! But I still choose acceleration. With such an engine is a real holiday.
The first two programs are warm -up, you don’t even have time to notice them. But at the next five, you can evaluate all the advantages of the outstanding formula-citizen engine. It is interesting to go after 4000 revolutions. But the sweetest is a protracted acceleration from 5000 to 8250 revolutions. It seems that the M5 is about to break away from the ground! But this is an illusion - after all, the car is only more pressed to the surface of the highway. Emotions from acceleration can be strengthened on narrow streets or in the corridors of strips on highways filled with cars. Prepare the two -stage effort of the floor pedal, and you will get real American slides. Rare cars that moved along an empty morning road at a speed of 100-120 km/h suddenly freeze, turning into monuments to themselves! A little more, and we will find ourselves in a different dimension. Be careful! This is not just a car, this is M5 ... - the owner of the M5 (E39), who came up to express the respect to the new flagship, told us. Well, he is right. Without accurate calculation and skillful hands, do not meddle further than half of the potential of the 400-string motor. After all, objects can provide closer than it really is. And for a very short time.
What, except for the body and the luggage compartment, is the M5 different from the M6? First of all, dimensions. The sedan has more the base - 11 cm, the front track (1580 versus 1567 mm), but the rear (1566 versus 1584 mm). The five is 9.5 cm higher and 45 kg heavier. Therefore, her character is slightly different. The compartment is tougher, his reaction is sharper. But still, the M5 is an explosive and incredibly fast car everywhere, both on straight lines and in vihi. Exhaust systems are in different ways: in the voice of M6 more metal notes, the M5 has deeper sound and a little bass.
The steering wheel is always poured with a pleasant weight of feedback. You can make it even harder - you need to switch the shock absorbers to the sports regime. Then the sedan will begin to throw the riders on irregularities, but the suspension with a dead grip will cling to the surface of the road. Shock absorbers and springs perfectly cope with their tasks. Even on high -speed bends on the third ring, falling on metal seams, the machine does not jump off the trajectory, demonstrating exemplary stability. The steering is acute enough to go through most of all the turns without interceptions. In corners, the M5 does not show as pronounced as the M6 \u200b\u200bof excess rotation for the discharge of gas, but in any case, it willingly screwed inside. Like the compartment, the sedan with pleasure hides the tail with excessive thrust. Only training and skill of the pilot decide how deep, protracted and controlled can be a skid. M5 is Ultimate Driving Machine, undoubtedly.
And also - this is a wonderful business class sedan for every day. With an excellent audio system (as one friend of mine said, you don’t even have to go to the club), a spacious salon and excellent sound insulation. V10, by the way, can be an everyday cord - the engine is quite elastic, do not forget that these are 10 pots and full -fledged five liters! It seems that it is possible to get used to the twitching gearbox for a couple of days so that its work, according to the sensations, will slightly differ from the usual machine gun. The suspension will cease to seem stiff. Rather, on other cars you will feel like a classic American. Well, when that guy on Ferrari appears ... or there is just a desire to stretch, you just need to press the magic button M, which stores your personal formula for a good mood.
Audi BMW M5 prices and equipment.
M5 can be purchased with an amount of 123,800 euros. The standard equipment includes the following: the multifunctional steering wheel M-type with skin decoration, alloy wheels R19 C 255/40 rubber in front and 285/35 behind (the test car was shod in ContisportContact 2), a complete set of electronic systems, fog lights, bumpers from Aluminum shock absorbers in front and back, designed to absorb a blow at speeds up to 15 km/h, color display, electronic immobilizer with an electronic anti-theft system, electroregulation of the steering wheel in 2 planes, separate climate control, xenon, a set of airbags for the driver and front passenger.
Additional equipment: leather upholstery, including alkantara ceiling, side airbags for rear passengers, security alarm with remote control, hatch, sun passengers and rear-glass curtains, M-type sports seats, front seats, active ventilation. The lateral support of the front seats, heating the front and rear seats, rain and illumination sensors, parking sensors, adaptive turns lighting, TV, Bluetooth, 6-disks CDs, Hi-Fi Professional Logic 7 audio system, and the rear spoiler is finished.
Leonty Tyutelev
 

Source: Magazine Motor