2018 BMW M5 FIRST LOOK

2018 BMW M5 FIRST LOOK BY AUTO CRITIC STEVE HAMMES

The fastest I’ve ever driven is about 130mph in an E39S M5 with its 5.0-liter V8 and 6-speed manual. Good times, indeed.

Flash ahead nearly 20 years and BMW has readied this all-new 6^th gen model, the performance pinnacle of the 5 Series lineup.  Available next spring, this 2018 M5 debuts a new M-specific all-wheel drive system called M xDrive.

When the engine is first started, the M5 is a 4-wheel drive vehicle.  The driver is then able to vary the handling characteristics via selectable drive modes including a rear-wheel-drive mode with no Dynamic Stability Control for a traditional rear-wheel drive experience.  But with 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, you’ll want 4-wheel traction to transfer all of that might to the road.

The 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 teams with a new 8-speed automatic transmission to deliver blistering acceleration.  0-to-60mph takes only 3.2 seconds.  When equipped with the M Driver’s package, top speed is 189mph.  The sound it produces varies depending on the selected driving mode while the M Sound Control button allows further customization.

Individual driver needs are met by the wide range of options for configuring the vehicle, including M xDrive, the 8-speed M Steptronic with Drivelogic, the M-specific Variable Damper Control with electronically controlled shock absorbers, and M Servotronic steering.

Virtually all of the driving dynamic systems can be configured using the central touchscreen display, buttons on the center console or M sports steering wheel, and the central information display offers BMW Gesture control. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

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