2013 BMW M5

There’s no doubting that BMW makes some pretty special cars, but once the letter M gets involved it’s a whole new ball game played with some of the world’s most finely tuned autos.  And this is the all-new 2013, 560-horsepower M5.

After a 2-year absence from showrooms, BMW’s mightiest car returns with a fresh new look, turbocharged engine and even more power.  It’s the BMW sedan of choice for the discriminating buyer who desires the highest levels of performance and exclusivity in a midsize-friendly package.

Where the V10 used to reside is a reverse flow 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 tuned to generate 560 horsepower and 500 pound feet of torque…the max rating for any BMW vehicle and considerably more output than before.  This car is also a little longer and wider and also heavier by over 300 pounds but thanks to a big bump in its potency, it’s also faster.

A rear-drive car with these kinds of credentials needs to make sure it can transmit its power to the pavement and that’s where the Active M Differential comes into play, an electronically controlled limited slip unit connected with the Dynamic Stability Control system. But try as we did to get this car to let loose a bit, even in the permissive M Dynamic Mode the computer continued to intervene, whether it was on takeoff or just sliding it around.  Note; there is a DSC Off mode for complete deactivation of the system but anything short of that frequently kills the power.

Despite the M5’s stellar stat sheet the fly in the ointment is this no-cost, optional 6-speed manual transmission which ironically is being offered in the U.S. and not in Europe.

But this BMW treat turns to trick with a long-travel, highly sprung clutch pedal and an indecisive shifter…not at all what I expected.  It wasn’t until about day 3 before I felt like I had smooth command of its operation and even then the M5 had its moments of being herky-jerky.  Combined, these traits will have you nervously entering a stop-light war even with an inferior car next to you.  But once into second, you can better explore the high-revving engine’s broad power band and make up for lost time, where the M5 audibly comes to life and speed builds with incredible ease.  BMW quotes a 4.3 0-to-60mph run with the stick shift, a tenth slower than the 7-speed dual clutch transmission-equipped M5.  Another reason I’d forgo the manual here is because, as hard as it is to believe, it can make the M5 feel lazy requiring more downshifting than should be necessary, interfering with your athletic drive.  So the moral of the story here is to stick with the automated manual.  This unit just does not play especially well with this engine.

Putting this aside, the M5 can do everyday driving in luxury sedan style without punishing its occupants – reigning in the sounds of high performance tires and exhaust and planing the harshness off of bumps.  It’s quite firm but not unforgiving.  When you start off, the engine, shock and steering settings all default to efficiency and comfort modes.  From there you can go to Sport  or Sport +, each raising the bar of athleticism in a mutually exclusive manner.  Pretty cool, but if you factor simplicity into the fun-to-drive equation then this system adds just another distraction to get in and go.  Otherwise, its spaciousness and high tech safety and convenience features preserve this 5-series’ mature foundation.

And that’s where my week with this M5 ends…reverential of its outstanding capabilities, smitten with its authoritative stance but a love affair it did not turn out to be.  With the addition of the driver assistance and executive packages, upsized 20” wheels and the 17mpg-mandated Gas Guzzler tax, this M5 stickers for a healthy $100,825.