BMW car there is something big in M5, something even greater in M5 Competition and something you could say greatest in M5 CS. Our fleet landing test vehicle is a visual testament to that, with its matte “Frozen Deep Green Metallic” paintwork, spiked brass wheels and carbon fiber hood, spoiler and front splitter. Under the bulge, vented hood is a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 tuned to make 627 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. Open the doors, and you’ll be treated to an even more carbon-decorated cockpit, instantly putting you in the mood to do something stupid. But when that novelty wears off — you can’t drive this near the limit for long periods of time on public roads without consequences — even the CS settles into something you can actually drive every day. , do normal, everyday things.
The chairs are something really special. Both rows have the sportiest seats you can imagine. The mattress is very aggressive and you have to be very careful not to sit on the lower outer pad when boarding. It protrudes and is quite stiff. However, the carbon fiber divider between your legs isn’t as irritating as you might expect. The back of the chair fits a person’s rib quite well, but that means you’ll stay in place through sharp corners. The glossy carbon strips on the backs of the front seats are a joy to behold — a work of art for those in the back to admire. It took us a while to realize that, but all four headrests feature the delicate contours of the Nürburgring Nordschleife that break through the hole. The BMW is said to have heated seats, but no ventilation. That’s fine for a performance sedan when it’s spending time on the track, but the cooled seats are fantastic elsewhere.
Those rear bins, however, mean you’re limited to no more than four people. If you have a family of five, you must consider how often you plan to use your 627-horsepower performance sedan as a daily driver for the whole family going to school or school. road trip. If it does, that means you’ll have to pick up a smaller 5 Series, like the M5 Competition and only 617 hp, to get five seats. However, the CS bucket seats can still easily accommodate a car seat, which is a pleasant surprise.
And, boy, does this make for a great everyday driver. While auto blog Road Test Editor Zac Palmer is pleased to be surf the M5 CS around the track at Thermal Club, I’m happy to enjoy this beast around town, taking the kids to soccer and swimming, and filling the trunk with loads of groceries. It’s quite comfortable, even on Michigan’s broken roads. It’s also surprisingly quiet, minimizing the intense barking from the exhaust as it enters the cabin. Scroll down the windows and you’ll have a sound party. It seems ironic that, while the occupants of the car enjoyed the sheer thrill of the 0-60 teardowns in 2.9 seconds, it was the people outside the car that enjoyed the thrill. about the sound of things.
It’s the CS’s steering that pushes this a little further than the average everyday driver. While the quick response from the center is great when it comes to throwing this bear from corner to corner with confidence and accuracy, you will find it very difficult to try to convince your toddler to take a nap. There is an easy fix for this, though. Give up driving positions 9 and 3, and turn on one hand at the top of the steering wheel. Oddly enough, the M5 CS perfectly responds to this comfortable driving style, stabilizing in a way that almost makes you wonder if it’s been tuned to suit.
The steering wheel also doesn’t have much feedback, which makes you have to rely on other senses to distinguish the grip between the tire and the road (have you taste traction? Real wild). Again, the problem is that a few decibels get inside. The good news is that you don’t need to worry too much about grip. The M5 CS, with all-wheel drive and available Pirelli P Zero Corsa summer tires, has loads of traction on dry roads — though understandably it’s a bit squirt, when the rain starts to fall if you don’t. dial back to ga-mash.
Once you’ve pulled off the highway ramp, driving on the M5 CS will be hard to distinguish from one of the other M5s. But it does give you a chance to look around the cabin and soak up all that carbon fiber.
But do you really need CS? Starting at $142,995, its 627 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque eclipses the Competition M5 at just 10 hp and 0 lb-ft, or the standard M5 27 hp and again. , no torque. Sure, those cars are a bit heavier and don’t have those great seats, but they’re still very fast. And it could be a moot point, since this is a year of running, but is 0.3 seconds off your 0-60 time compared to a standard M5 really worth $35,000? la no? No, but exclusivity can. Probably. For someone. I would rather have a ventilated seat.
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