[vineethvazhayil]

I re read the entire review and I was wondering if there is a true competitor to this car in India? Does Mercedes sell the E63 AMG or Audi sell the RS6? If yes, can we ever have a side by side comparo?

I think if TBHP can start doing comparo reviews, it would be supremely beneficial to the readers and followers of the review threads. I guess it won't be as straightforward as most cars are provided to tbhp by the manufacturer to review and write about and then it will purely depend on the manufacturer to send competition cars also. Side by side expert comparisons, we should have it!

[n:CorE]

Excellent India-specific review of the M5. Journalists all around the world are all praises for this car, it's a refreshing change to see a very modest and practical approach to this car digging in way beyond the fact that it has 4-doors and proper space at the back. The 530d for all intents and purposes seems to be all the performance you need for the occasions when you really need to let your hair down as an enthusiast in our country. Besides, it's now offered with the M-Sport trim as standard which just makes the deal much more sweet.

I'd like to quote Clarkson on this car - "Earlier on you'd pay the extra difference in the price of the M5, because it was that much better than the regular 5-series, but now the normal 5-series is so good, it's hard to justify the extra money. The 530d is an almost perfect car."

Add to that it runs on the dirty fuel, it's just win-win. The M550d x-Drive would've made a much more successful niche in India I feel, too bad it's available I LHD only.

As a car though the M5 is astonishingly engineered and does justice to the ///M legacy, but here in India, it's really quite more than a handful IMO.

Regards,

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Good one Rehaan !
No doubt this is 1 heck of a good car but i still continue to miss the e60. That felt like a purer ,rawer M. I remember seeing what the f10 M5 did to the XF-R and E63 in a 1mile drag on some video. Convincingly beat them.
Now all thats left is the C7 RS6. Just released in Avant and has identical power to the M5 @ 560hp. They claim a 3.9 to 100.
Boy oh boy this is going to be 1 heck of a rivalry

[deetjohn]

Thanks for sharing a great review Rehaan. The M5 in that blue shade looks absolutely stunning. And I love the subtle details on the F10 M.

But when I first heard about the Active Sound Design, the new M5 lost the cool factor. It comes of like BMW wanted to make a poser. So, what if the new V8 is not as throaty as F1 inspired V10? The V8 has other capabilities which the old one didn't have. BMW should have left the engine note alone and be confident about it.

It is a great all purpose car, nevertheless. Just disable the Active Sound Design.

I actually love the sound or the lack of it when that stupid tech is disabled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0xLja4Rt4

And this is how one can disable it. http://www.5seriesblog.com/2012/04/2...nd-technology/

[Sheel]

Wow! This is some review, but where is the video mate? I was expecting tail-out videos with this one. And I do remember the amazing video compilation you do, hence am waiting...

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Unfortunately, these days driver skill has to a great extent been replaced with knowing which combination of buttons to press. When it comes to getting a high-powered RWD car off the line, it usually takes some trial and error. However, auto trannies simplify the process, and by using all the sensors and authority the car has at its disposal, launch control manages to find the perfect balance between power and traction. You'd think it should be as easy as pressing a button, but it's a fairly complex setup procedure! The end result is a crisp launch with minimal drama. In fact, the car seems to move the first meter or so rather slowly before chirping the tyres a little and then shooting off. The M5 will up-shift for you even in manual mode, as long as you still have the pedal pressed to the floor. Once everything is eventually set up (which is the hard part), even grandma could take the M5 from 0 - 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

This is where Motorcycles lets you have your cake & eat it too. If you aren't a good rider, it shall be fairly evident & the moment you try to play with it beyond your capabilities, it doesn't forgive you.

[sheeniz]

Amazing review dude, as if I am myself doing this test drive. I wish I had won a jackpot, then only I can get my hands on to this sweet baby ;-)

Keep up the good work..!

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

But when I first heard about the Active Sound Design, the new M5 lost the cool factor. It comes of like BMW wanted to make a poser. So, what if the new V8 is not as throaty as F1 inspired V10? The V8 has other capabilities which the old one didn't have. BMW should have left the engine note alone and be confident about it.

It is a great all purpose car, nevertheless. Just disable the Active Sound Design.

Believe me, you just don't realize its even there. Once you are in the car, the active sound is not intrusive at all and you will not even figure out when its coming from the speakers.

[noopster]

Superb review- as always Rehaan your attention to detail is amazing.

I had fun on this review (hopped for the brief Pune-Wai section along with moralfibre). My Swift holds its own against the big boy, wouldn't you say?

Hard for me to 'review' anything- was so much in awe of driving my first BMW (yeah, and it's an M5- something to tell the grandkids!) but it did feel marvelous having all that power and torque on tap. Felt even nicer when we stopped off the road and had petrol pump attendants shooting pics of the car with their mobiles and (probably) wondering which big shot I was

Some of my favourite pics from the drive:

The sunroof-


A nice shot of the interior. It is truly stunning, the pics hardly do justice.


Driver's pleasure. Here moral looks a little amused to be stuck behind two lumbering buses-


And finally, a pic I will treasure for a while!

[mobike008]

Awesome review Rehaan. Superb Detailing and valid plus and minuses

I too agree that the price is way too much especially when you can buy an almost perfect beemer (530D) for half that price. M5's new pedigree looks a bit more cosmetically better than technologically.

Btw, this blue seems to be the in-color with most manafacturers these days. And, I cant say iam complaining

P.S: Noop and MF, you lucky fellas. if this continues, I too will soon shift to Mumbai or Pune

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Positron

I am surprised you could even drive an M5 on those roads. It's meant for the fantastic twisties, track days and Autobahns

It takes a lot of self control! And when you do let her loose, you need to make sure that you don't get carried away, as you'll need to rein her in soon enough.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Only thing a bit disappointing is that there is no manual option in India.

Sadly the MT is a dying breed. BMW has actually been very good at offering their cars with a stick shift (however, in the M5 i'd probably pick the DCT - but in the M3, the stick).

Can you believe that Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer make any MT cars!! The last one produced from their stables was a 550-2 Gallardo.

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

What other shades would this be offered in?

I saw a Space Grey one on Peddar Road in Mumbai last month.

Originally Posted by deepjaju

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.

I actually included them all in my review, as this is a shorter "Driven" review rather than a full-blown one!

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

t was his perception but any others have any thoughts on how German brands fare in other markets outside India in terms of reliability ?

Give it a quick search, i think we have a thread on brand perceptions etc.

cya
R

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by _raVan_

The rear seats pictures are missing.

Yeah, i think i consciously left them out (not even sure i took the picture)

You can take a look at the 525 and 530d reviews i linked to. Its the same thing, but with different upholstery.

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

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

BMW and Merc have been working hard to provide their full range of cars in India. Respect to them for that.
The Ms and the AMGs are the halo cars for these brands too.

Originally Posted by scooby05

With your review, my bent goes towards the E, and believe we still need a spare tire here in India.

Is that the clincher?
I just L-O-V-E the sound of the E63 (and the C63). Its about 10x better than the M5 when it comes to the noise.

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

BUUUT!! I would rather go with a new 550i and get it tuned by Racing Dynamics. ... It will beat the M5 hands down!

There's a lot more to the M5 than just the power figure.

There's a hundred other improvements, ranging from the all-aluminum suspension to the massive brakes etc. And then of course, the suspension.

Straight line the tweaked 550i might do it in, but as an overall package i don't think it would really match it.

Originally Posted by Motoringlover

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 think there's two parts to it, with the first one being much more important:
1) Correct support from the seat. This includes lumbar support, seat height, under-thigh support and seat compound
2) Suspension. If the seats are excellent, this is not a major concern. However, if say, you're sitting on the rear seat, you'll be doing a lot more harm to your back in a Santro than you would if you were in an Innova.

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

When can we expect a Merc AMG report?

Check this out for something of an AMG report :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super-...-launched.html

Originally Posted by n:CorE

I'd like to quote Clarkson on this car

I think it was him or someone else who said that for the price of the M5, they'd rather pick a diesel 5-series and a 1-series //M for the same price. If i was limited to BMWs, I'd agree.

Originally Posted by Scorcher

Next up, something which is right up your alley, a fulltoo video review

+

Originally Posted by Redline Shooter

Lastly some videos will e really appreciable...will be the complete package to end the year with.

+

Originally Posted by Sheel

This is some review, but where is the video mate? I was expecting tail-out videos with this one. And I do remember the amazing video compilation you do, hence am waiting...

I was planning to make a video, but i had some really really rotten luck with my video cameras!

I do however have some footage. I'll try to string it together into a short clip -- but give me some time to get it done!

cya
R

[n:CorE]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

I think it was him or someone else who said that for the price of the M5, they'd rather pick a diesel 5-series and a 1-series //M for the same price. If i was limited to BMWs, I'd agree.

I can be pretty sure it wasn't Clarkson or either of the boys. However, that statement does really make sense albiet if one is limited to BMWs as you mentioned.

However, In his DVD Powered Up (2011), he does mention that the best car launched in 2011 is the BMW 535 M-Sport Diesel (Estate) and the most fun car & his favorite is the 1-series //M.

Regards,

[Hayek]

Amazing review of an amazing car. The M5 is a true wolf in sheep's clothing, just as the 520 D which I test drove is a sheep in wolf's clothing. Driving an M BMW someday is truly a dream that I have, and you are lucky to have lived it, and we are lucky that you brought it to us.

As an aside, I don't know why BMW does not offer the 528i in India - it would likely be a lot cheaper than the 530D and would be great fun to drive (at least as per my 328i experience).

[Endeavour333]

Team BHP has the best, most detailed reviews I have EVER read. Keep up the great work guys. Love this forum. My dad has a 325i (previos gen) and it's an absolute pleasure to drive. Only complaint of mine is the amount you have to press the throttle to get acceleration. I would have liked more torque delivery for less throttle pedal travel. So im glad to see that can be modified somewhat with the new M5.

[anekho]

Rehaan, absolutely brilliant write-up!

Fantastic attention to detail. And excellent photography to boot!
Bookmarked this thread to read again, later.

The M5 is no doubt a special car. I just hate how massive BMWs have started looking these days. The thought of a modern day E30 M3 makes me... have a crisis!