2022 BMW M5 CS TEST DRIVE

2022 BMW M5 CS TEST DRIVE BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES

I’ve read some interesting takes lately posing the question,  And while I think it’s a valid discussion it’s one for which BMW apparently has no appetite. Otherwise why would they take their fastest sedan and make it even more so?

This is the outrageous, limited production BMW M5 CS.

 

 

 

 

You could go to a BMW dealership today and drive off in a 530i for $55 grand and be quite happy with your choice.  Or, if you fancy yourself a real driver and have some coin there’s the $100,000 M5 waiting at the other end of the 5 Series rainbow.  

 

 

But maybe you’re the type who covets the crème de la crème; something few others can obtain. The kind who orders the Wagyu burger even though their palette would be satiated with a Whopper.  And for you BMW is proud to present the M5 CS; the quickest and most powerful car they have ever produced, limited to one model year and sold mono spec other than the color and tire type. 

 

Assuming you could get a dealer to sell one at MSRP it costs $144,000 and for that you’ll be the proud owner of an M5 that’s .2 seconds quicker than the next highest performing Competition model clocking here a 0-to-60mph time under 3 seconds; 2.9 to be exact with launch control.  Extensive use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and superfluous stuff like sealing closed the center console contribute to a 230 pound weight reduction. 

 

Pirelli P Zero Corsa streetable track tires of staggered width are a no-cost option for the owner who plans on entering their cherished acquisition into competition.  627 horsepower, 553 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of 190 mph are just numbers on a sheet. 

 

 

More remarkable is how BMW reengineered an understated business sedan into one of the most impressive cars I’ve ever driven.   This is fluid handling and blistering speed in a 4-door package that despite its significant capabilities could happily be driven every day if it wasn’t for these carbon bucket seats.  I had my first go with these in the M3 Competition earlier this summer and though I understand their purpose – pulling you in like grandma’s hug – climbing over these high sides gets old really fast. 

 

And the CS is a true 4-seater with 2 more buckets in the rear, also snug but not nearly as difficult to navigate.        

 

 

 

 

Though the CS is too cool for center console storage, 5-passenger seating and adaptive cruise control, it’s not a bare bones racecar by any means.  There’re still lots of fancy creature comforts and electronic gadgetry in here. 

 

 

 

Now, these tight fitting carbon buckets aren’t the most comfortable seats and require a good deal of athleticism when getting in and out, otherwise, could you take this car on a highway trip? 

 

 

 

Yes.  No doubt.  In comfort mode there’s nothing too extreme here to preclude normal, midsize sedan driving duties.  But as I’ve been testing it and indeed marveling at its rapid, seemingly effortless acceleration and highly dialed in driving precision I’m left thinking I either need a lot more road or a membership down at Monticello. 

 

 

This is a car that really demands private pavement in order to deliver the excitement that BMW has painstakingly engineered into this M5.  It’s too good and too fast to be wasted on 99% of public roads where, of course, safety comes first.

 

 

And that’s the conundrum.  I’ve got access to a decommissioned airstrip where I can at least explore some of the awesomeness in a private setting – like sliding the CS around in 2-wheel drive mode which is endlessly entertaining and ripping through the 8 gears with a twin-turbo V8 that’s so responsive you’d think the acceleration is endless. 

 

 

But on public roads, where the sticky, massively wide tires kick up every pebble they can find, triggering this car’s adrenal glands only delivers brief moments of excitement because it all happens so quickly you have to back off the throttle just the same. 

 

 

On the other hand, stiffer engine mounts, a lower ride height, 10% firmer springs, increased negative camber on the front tires and a firmer anti-roll bar are aspects you can tangibly enjoy every time you turn the wheel regardless of speed.  Considering all of that, it’s hard to believe the adaptive dampers are this good at keeping the ride so comfortable.

 

 

Another impressive feat is how these huge carbon ceramic brakes so immediately shut down speed while at the same time playing so civilly in everyday driving which is not normally the case.  And did you notice the red calipers?  That’s a first on BMW carbons.  Gold is optional but that would look weird with the existing gold bronze treatments this car is already wearing.

 

   

The drive is impeccable and if you’re buying a CS then you’re likely someone who demands the most from your car and the M5 delivers with pinpoint precision in everything the driver controls.  This is the midsize sports sedan at its apex.  But here’s what I would change.  While most cars have simplified drive modes to a single switch, BMW has turned it into a confusing mélange of choices.  Even after programming these red M switches for your favorite settings there’s still work to be done in terms of the various displays you may want and trying to do it all on the fly?  Forget about it.  And secondly, if you’re the auditory type you may be disappointed with the exhaust sounds.         

There’s a button to quiet the pipes down but I haven’t been able to figure out how to make that the default setting.  Also, this engine runs hot even with the additional cooling measures so get used to the electric fan staying on long after you shut ‘er down.  But for comparison, BMW should go drive a Hellcat and see how delightfully easy it is to set up that car.  This is unnecessarily complex.  But creature comforts are plentiful and touches like this famed German racetrack punched into the headrests and the gray metallic paint named after the UK’s best loved race circuit are the little details that complete the CS Package – which in itself is short for Competition Sport, at least here in the States.     

As tuned, the 4.4-liter engine with all-wheel drive returns 15mpg city/21mpg highway prompting a $1,000 gas guzzler tax.  But that would never deter the person who needs what few others will ever have.         

 

 

 

2022 BMW M5 CS TEST DRIVE BY CAR CRITIC STEVE HAMMES  |  TESTDRIVENOW 2021(c)