Test: BMW M5 The 5 new series model with four valve six cylinder and 286 HP. The car with the simple designation "M5" is almost as descretely traded as illicit drugs. There was no great launch event and hardly any announcement in the press.

BMW Motorsport GmbH revealed its latest drug for the first time without any fuss at the Automobilsalon in Amsterdam, not exactly what you would call one of the premier car shows in the world.

Even though this activity related to the new top of the range 5-Series, this low-key launch did not seem completely out of place. Because a car like this, without any luxuries - the M5 does not even sport a catalytic converter - doesn't seem to quite fit the current BMW image. With the latter, BMW dynamics and sportiness must take second place behind more modern considerations such as the environment which in turn is addressed by the appliance of innovative technology.

Table "Options and Prices"
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|Basic Price 80,750 DM        | Heated washer jets            |
|                             |                               |
|Standard Equipment           | Power assisted steering       |
|                             |                               |
|Door mirrors left and right, | 25% Limited Slip Differential |
|electrically adjustable and  |                               |
|heated                       |                               |
|                             |                               |
|ABS                          | Sports seats                  |
|                             |                               |
|Check control - fault diag-  | Socket for rechargeable torch |
|nosis panel which verifies   |                               |
|oil level, water temp.,      |                               |
|washer fluid level, light    |                               |
|bulbs etc.                   |                               |
|                             |                               |
|Rev counter                  | Central Locking               |
|                             |                               |
|Heated drivers door lock     | Options                       |
|                             |                               |
|Brown tinted glass           | Buffelo leather seats         |
|                             |   6460,- DM                   |
|                             |                               |
|Thermostatically controlled  | Metallic paint                |
|cabin heating                |   980,- DM                    |
|                             |                               |
|Heated rear window           | Manual sun-roof               |
|                             |   1165,- DM                   |
|Alloy wheels                 |                               |
|                             | Electric sun-roof             |
|Adjustable reach leather     |   1525,- DM                   |
|steering wheel               |                               |
|                             | Heat resistant glass (green)  |
|Fog lights                   |    190,- DM                   |
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And then out of the blue comes something like this; a descrete 4 door sedan - equipped with the powerful 286 HP (210kW) four valve per cylinder six cylinder engine which was first developed for the mid-engined M1 supercar and next appeared in the M 635CSi coupé. So, pure muscle-power - as is demonstrated by the factory's 245 km/h (155 mph) top speed figure. Higher than any other series production 4-door can achieve.
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Other Comments:
Good

| Elastic and torquey engine     |
|                                |
| Very high performance          |
|                                |
| Well spaced gears              |
|                                |
| Safe handling                  |
|                                |
| Good roadholding               |
|                                |
| Comfortable suspension         |
|                                |
| Bad                            |
|                                |
| Complicated seat adjustment    |
|                                |
| Inconvenient seat-belt routing |
| (Front seats)                  |
|                                |
| Wind noise                     |
|                                |
| Weak full-beam headlights      |
|                                |

The interesting engine isn't the only sign that the M5 doesn't exactly tow the BMW line, because the car looks from the outside just like a 520i to which its owner fitted wider wheels - this is in contrast to the agressively spoilered M 535i which has some 70 HP less. And these spoilers are, according to official doctrin, not just decorative, rather they are added in the interests of providing downforce - as is so often explained - without which the top speed would not be safely useable.

And the M5? Without any kind of aerodynamic aids whatsoever the M5 is capable of driving at top speed without making the driver feel nervous, with commendable straight line stability, flat and unperturbed even on fast autobahns curves which wouldn't be considered as such by most cars. From this point of view then, no problem.

Technical Details and Measurements

Engine

Water cooled in-line six cylinder engine, seven main bearings. Double overhead camshafts (chain driven), four valve per cylinder, thermostatically controlled electrical radiator fan, electronically controlled ignition and fuel injection (Bosch Motronic).

Power

210 kW (286 HP) at 6500/min, specific output 60.8 kW per/L (82.8 HP/L), capacity 3453 cc, bore/stroke 93.4*84.0, compression ratio 10.5:1 maximum torque 340 Nm at 4500/min, piston speed at max/min 18.2 m/s.

Running gear

Rear wheel drive, fully synchronised 5 speed gearbox, hydraulically
operated single dry plate clutch.
Ratios:  I 3.51
       II 2.08
       III 1.35
       IV 1.00
       V 0.81
       R.3.71,
differential ratio 3.73:1. 38.3 km/h per 1000/min in 5th gear.

Bodywork and suspension

Five seater sedan with four door, monocoque construction. Air resistance (Cw * A) 0.79. Independant Macpherson strut front suspension with anti-roll bar. Independant trailing arm rear suspension with anti-roll bar. Gas shock absorbers front and rear, power steering, hydraulic servo assisted dual circuit braking system, ABS, vented disks, handbrake operates on rear wheels. Wheel size: 165 TR 390. Tyre size: 220/55 VR 390.

Measurements and Weights

Wheelbase 2625mm, front/rear track 1430/1465mm. Exterior size 4620*1700*1400mm, Interior height front/rear 930/860mm, Standard knee space 250mm, seat space 670-845mm, turning circle right/left 11.2/11.3m, three turns lock to lock, steering wheel diameter 360mm, fuel tank capacity 70 Litres, weight (empty) 1465 kg, wight distribution front/rear 52.4/48 %, maximum permitted weight 1900 kg, max load 435 kg, normalized person count 5.1

Performance
  Top speed (6550/min in 5th gear) 251 km/h
Acceleration
       0-60              3.0s
       0-80              4.4s
       0-100             6.1s
       0-120             8.4s
       0-140            11.0s
       0-160            14.5s
       0-180            19.0s
       0-200            25.8s
   400m standing start  14.1s
   1km standing start   25.9s
Flexibility
  40-100 km/h (IV gear) 12.3s
  60-120 km/h (V gear)  16.5s
Speedo accuracy
   Display                    Actual
    50  km/h                 44 km/h
    100 km/h                 94 km/h
    130 km/h                123 km/h
    160 km/h                151 km/h
    180 km/h                169 km/h
    220 km/h                201 km/h
Odometer error           0 %
Interior noise
   at  50 km/h              65 db(A)
   at 100 km/h              70 db(A)
   at 130 km/h              73 db(A)
   at 140 km/h              74 db(A)
   at 160 km/h              77 db(A)
   at 180 km/h              82 db(A)
   at 200 km/h              82 db(A)
Fuel consumption
   DIN in Liter/100 km
     at  90 km/h in 5th gear   7.8
     at 120 km/h in 5th gear   9.7
     town driving             16.5
Test consumption in Liter/100 km
     Minimum                  12.0
     Maximum                  19.2
     A-road @ 80 km/h         14.4
     Autobahn @ 150 km/h      17.9
     Average test consumption 15.3
Fuel: Premium grade
Steering and pedal effort
     Steering at standstill   42 N
     Steering during driving  33 N
     Clutch pedal            170 N
     Gas pedal                20 N
     Brake pedal at 80% of maximum breaking effort  120N
Service Interval
     According to the service indicator LEDs display.

That the M5 doesn't advertise its potent from the outside will please many of its prospective purchasers. Should showing-off be necessary it is sufficient to drive to the gas station and open up the hood. Just a glance at the M-engine leaves no doubt as to its potential; this power unit was designed during a period when technology still needed to be asthetically pleasing. No plastic coverings as are so common on modern cars - rather optically well prepared high performance mechanicals which can provide so much joy even at standstill. Just like a beautiful cronograph.

It is then even more pleasurable to be able to announce that this monument to engineering is just as much fun to drive. because the six cylinder engine, which looks like it came directly from a racing car, is a powerhouse without faults. It starts on the button, impresses with its smooth idle and when required is capable of pulling away using extremely low revs. In town you can cruise around in 5th gear without having to change down to accelerate and on the open road even 4000/min is sufficient to unleash powerful acceleration and put many miles of road behind you.

The six cylinder does however only show what it is really capable of when all six throttles are fully open. Then the typical BMW silky smoothness is replaced by a raucous plenium concert. The tacho needle nears the red (which starts at 6700/min) where the rev-limiter kicks in.

The acceleration is phenominal but unlike a Porsche Turbo always feels under control. Anyone stepping straight from a 528i into a M5 would not be threatened by the additional 100 HP because the power is laid down so progressively that one isn't made aware of the real nature of the beast.

Only the measurements show what 286 HP coupled to the relatively light 5-series chassis are truely capable of: After only 6.1 seconds the BMW passes 100km/h (62 mph) and reaches 160km/h (100 mph) after a mere 15 seconds. And with no end in sight; the BMW accelerates forward in a manner in normally is the stuff of pure-bread sports cars. Only far in excess of the normal speed limits does the ageing 5-series body display its aerodynamic in-efficiencies. At 251 km/h the power output is equalled by the aerodynamic drag. That isn't much more than an Audi 200 turbo which has 100 HP less.

That the M5 has more than enough power for each and every situation is without doubt. Not just due to the impressive engine but also because of the superbly spaced gears. Normally BMW specifies an overdrive gearbox which it would be crazy to fit to a car of this caliber; The M5 is therefore fitted with a close ratio 'box which isn't just perfect for acceleration but which also allows for lazy gear changing.

The interaction between engine and gearbox is completely harmonic. You never have the feeling you're in the wrong gear regardless of which gear you happen to be in. The last item worth mentioning is that the 5 speed 'box allows for superbly smooth changes - precise and with so little force required that you get the feeling the gears are somehow sucked into place.

The high level of excitement generated by the power train isn't even reduced by too high a fuel consumption. The average consumption (measured according to DIN standards) represents the minimum achievable during normal road use; around 12.0 l/100km. During the test (in which much of the driving was fast) the average consumption was measured at 15.3 l/100 km. Certainly a figure one can live with. A few years ago acheiving such low consumption would have been considered grounds for rejoicing.

We have already talked about the good handling characteristics of the M5 on the autobahn but it should be added that other road conditions are just as well controlled. The suspension setup seems very carefully calculated; up to an extremely high speed in curves the BMW stays almost completely neutrally poised. Beyond that the rear starts to move outwards. Clearly with this kind of power available oversteer is easily provoked. Normally however the rear avoids taking on a life of its own. Under extreme circumstances it is sufficient to apply a little opposite lock. This nice feature is assisted by light and very precise power steering which makes the M5 a nippy and satisfying car.

Given the positive handling characteristics you could understand it if the M5 was a little lacking in the comfort department. But even here the setup seems to have been well thought out. Even though the suspension is lower and stiffer than that of the standard 5-series, the overall comfort level is easy to live with. Only when driving slowly does the stiffness of the suspension become apparent. Otherwise any bumps in the road are a efficiently flattened out - they don't go completely unnoticed by the passengers but they also don't cause significant jolting around and the associated discomfort which that could result in.

The good impression is assisted by the comfortable and snugly fitting sports seats which belong to some of the best available from BMW. With one exception. Even here the various adjustments are unnecessarily complicated. The result: it takes some time to find an acceptable seating position behind the leather covered steering wheel.

Also available in leather are the seats - covered in the finest buffelo leather - and even on the M5 these are an extra cost option which makes the already expensive car even more pricey. (See table "Options and Prices"). Without extras the basic M5, in which nothing important is missing, already costs 80,750 DM. Without doubt this is a lot of money but for this you get a BMW which has cleaned up its act.