[deepjaju]

Amazing review! What a car.

I was waiting for the the points of "Small but significant things" If you have some insights of it please post with a few more pics.

Thanks and once again awesome review.

[ambivalent_98]

Thanks a lot Rehan. It is a treat to end 2012 on a sweet note. I was speaking to a colleague who had come in from Arizona. He was amazed by the automotive scene and said that his general perception was that in German brands Mercs and Beemers in the US represented a certain class but reliability of late was becoming a challenge. VW he said was a steady performer. It was his perception but any others have any thoughts on how German brands fare in other markets outside India in terms of reliability ?

As a fellow BHPian aptly suggested maybe you can really start having video reviews like they do on channels on TV. I think it is do-able and would be very effective. Will the mods seriously look into this suggestion ?

[_raVan_]

Excellent review Rehaan! The pics are great, and the car looks stunning. I suppose the car will find less takers because of the inflated price tag and the facts that it is (a) priced above the 7 series and (b) the regular 5 is available for half the price.

The rear seats pictures are missing.

Rating the thread 5 stars.

[karan561]

Thanks Rehaan for this report. Truly sums up the entire M5 Madness.

Have read & seen many reviews about the M5 but never have i seen or noticed so much details on the traction/gear mode settings being elaborated so well.

Also the tutorial regarding launch control was crisp & informative at the same time.

Never could have imagined that a Blue 5'er would look this good ( have seen the Blue M5 in flesh 3 times in Mumbai & at the AutoExpo ) but i tell you what thank god this is specific to the the " M " because the color gets this madness & the get up due to its massive wheels, side gills, more muscular bonnet & the rear quads. This color would have looked equally poor on a stock 5 series.

Also another + for the M5 is that it was truly fantastic to see the car running on regular fuel

[mallumowgli]

Beautiful eloquent review. Felt the drive. Since driving a BMW, let alone an M5, is a distant proposition in this lifetime - thanks for taking us through the emotions!!

[eq24]

Great review, one can feel the excitement of driving this beast just by reading the review.

It raises a few questions though
a) Unless you are a true purist, why would you shell out in excess of a crore for a car which really does not stand out so much. I mean take the Audi RS5 for example, it really is a beast and with looks to match too, you do feel your monies worth in that car. I recently drove a friends Black RS5 and the look of the passengers and the passers by were truly something, in this car however I feel only the people in the car will be amazed outsiders will just view it as a 5 series. Again some people like that so for them this is perfect but for most?

b) No spare tire - So BMW wants the sucker who shells out a crore +, to walk after getting a puncture, admire the scenery perhaps or get panicked if the environment is not hospitable.

And lastly and I think this is just me but I feel all BMW's have very plain interiors(the 6series grancoupe and the 7 as an exception), I was thinking maybe the M5 will offer something a bit more premium looking but it still looks the same. Why can't they have the premium feel of the Mercedes or the WOW feel of an Audi or the royal feel of the Jaguar or even the I am commanding a fighter jet cockpit of the Freelander 2. WHY?

[suhaas307]

Wonderful review Rehaan!

Looks like the M5 is a mixed bag. Yeah, I know I'm going to be blown away if I ever get the opportunity to drive one. It's loaded with some nifty goodies like the driver-profile buttons. But going by reviews, it seems that the M5 has been softened a tad.

The old E60 M5's V10 soundtrack is one thing that will be missed. Sure, the new F10 M5 delivers (and how!) but there is more to a supercar than clinical performance. Where is the drama? Unfortunately, it seems like the trend these days. The new Quattroporte looks disappointing and it has lost that glorious V8 soundtrack as well.

And it's disturbing that BMW had to resort to piping in a pre-recorded audio-clip (of the car's engine-note) through the speakers. On a related note, the Sound-Symposer installed in the new 991 type 911 does a much better job of delivering the engine / exhaust note into the cabin.

And I'm starting to think BMW missed a trick by not bringing the M550d xDrive. It should deliver similarly in terms of power / performance. And it drinks the dirty stuff! It's just perfect! I think it was Sahil who mentioned in another thread that they aren't making a RHD version of that. Pity.

If I had 1-crore to blow on a super-sedan, I'd think long and hard before I buy the M5. Simply because the Jag XF-R is way too gorgeous to ignore.

[stanjohn123]

Great Review as Usual . Couldn't believe my eyes that it was actually the M5 that's being reviewed on t-bhp.

I don't understand BMW's strategy of introducing the M5 in our market. It's an awesome car for the tech , power ,price and available directly from the dealership, so spares , service are all covered perfectly but this is not going to bring any numbers at all with the 530d in the same lot.

Does BMW see slight potential for M5 or is this released to help boost the 530d sales ?

[Jaggu]

What a review Rehaan! Superb! spent the last 30 minutes going through the text and the pics and am ecstatic and depressed at the same time

As GTO said am amazed at the options that are coming up in the market these days. Now the price tag is little outrageous but i guess all these will become quite affordable when they come into the second hand market.

Once again an awesome review and advance new year wishes to all!

[scooby05]

Good Review Rehaan!! I am waiting for a day when I can finally buy this or the e63amg. Need to collect money soon.
With your review, my bent goes towards the E, and believe we still need a spare tire here in India.

[driven646]

Superb Review of a Superb Car.

If I had the money and India had the roads - this is the Car i would buy in a heartbeat.

I would remove the 'M' Badge even - and just potter around until I reached a well metaled road where the Car could then launch itself.

I think only Gujarat has the quality of roads where one can drive the M5 without worrying about scraping the bottom or having to look out for massive lunar craters.

[Octane_Power]

Its one hell of a car ! Best you can ask or get from BMW!
BUUUT!! I would rather go with a new 550i and get it tuned by Racing Dynamics.
Had read about it on Team-BHP itself.
Bumping the output to a staggering 620 HP and top speed to 340km/hr.
It will beat the M5 hands down!

-Bhargav

[Motoringlover]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

I have a pretty bad lower back problem and sitting in a car for even an hour is usually a painful challenge. However, after spending 6 hours and 300+ kms in the M5 on day 1, my back actually felt better than when I first got into the car! The passenger seat has exactly the same adjustments and has 2 memory positions as well. Both the front seats are ventilated.

Love the review Rehaan. As always we never expect anything less. Thanks for taking the time for the review.

Now this may be usual problem for tall guys [back problem], i always felt if you have a stiff suspension then the back hates it, surprisingly in my Octy RS [Not that it can be in sense be a comparison to an M], i have never had the issue of back aches - i guess its also to do with the way the seats hold you. I normally can't drive my Santro for too long without experiencing an irritation.

I always felt i was alone with that situation, and always ended up feeling the performance of the car makes up for back aches. Glad to know i am not alone.

Thanks again for your time on this review. Loved it.

Best - ML

[Redline Shooter]

Fantastic Review Rehaan!!!
It was an interesting story with lots of information many of which were never mentioned in any auto magazines or forums.I was in office when I bumped into your review...had to leave my work midway because it pulled me like a magnet till the end...
Lastly some videos will e really appreciable...will be the complete package to end the year with.

[naveen.raju]

AWESOME REVIEW Rehaan. Really enjoyed reading it. I really expected a video review of this report since it featured the M5. One hell of a machine. When can we expect a Merc AMG report?

Good going guys!