Initial Review: BMW M5 E60 BMW E60 M5
Colour: Alpine White
Interior: Black Complete Merino Leather
Wheels: 167M (M6 Wheels)
Fully Loaded
Well, this is my first review ever and I couldn't be more pleased to do one for such a phenomenal car. I know this isn't really the best way to go about a review (giving out my verdict before the review even starts), but I really don't think that anyone would expect anything else. Since people are probably not aware of much of the features of the car, I'll try to give out a detailed review. If anybody else wants any further details please post a reply. STYLING
I love the styling! It's just great! I had a choice between the M6 and the M5 and I chose the M5. To me the general 6 series is just ugly and would never be caught dead buying one. The 5 on the other hand is just a piece of art. I love the angel eyes, the muscular front and the side angle. With the M kit its just all the more better. Styling as people would guess doesn't just include the exterior but also the interior. The interior is also good but have to say, its a bit on the boring side. It's very elegant in its own right, but it doesn't have the impact that a sports interior would. I love certain aspects of it like the SMG paddles with the lit + - signs, the gear lever with the lit R-N-D/S functions. ENGINE
What can I say that would do justice to this masterpiece? It is absolutely phenomenal. As of this moment, I can't really apply full throttle, but even with 'just' 400-hp, S1(slowest gear-changes) and half throttle, this car would be as fast as a Skoda RS with full throttle. I'm waiting for the 2000-km mark and first service after which I can rip the car. For the first time yesterday, I changed it to 507-hp and boy was it noticeable. The throttle response was immediate and I can only imagine what it would be like once I can drive without restrictions. The V10 has a very different growl from the Supercharged AMG's. It is more muted and a very toned grunt rather than the blast from the AMG. GEARBOX
SMGIII is miles ahead from any other gearbox IMO. It is just amazing. I can drive extremely comfortably when I want to in D1 mode with automatic changes to track-performance, S6, within a matter of seconds. I don't know how many people know this but in S6, SMGIII is the fastest transmission in the world with gear-changes coming about in 65-ms. In Manual mode (S) I find myself laughing with glee as to how much fun I'm having. I've driven a lot of fun cars but never can i say, was it so enthralling to learn so much. I was actually scared about handling an SMG paddle-shift gearbox but I learned it within a matter of hours. Now I am completely comfortable and find myself trying to use S mode whenever I can. Obviously in Mumbai traffic, especially around Haji Ali in the evening, I can't use S mode. HEADS-UP DISPLAY
The HUD is just PERFECT! I really really love it. Apart from the cool factor, it is incredibly useful when your going at speeds above of 80 km/h in Bombay, where people are just crossing left right and centre without looking and people are just cutting across lanes. It is absolutely magnificent when coupled with the SMGIII 7-speed gearbox. It shows you the RPM counter and the speed and the gear you are in. I especially love the RPM counter as you can really rip it without ever having to worry about overdoing it. I haven't used it in anything other than M mode and I never ever shut it. Its just an integral part of the car and really can't believe some people actually opt out of the option. HANDLING
I'm really all praises for this car and the way it drives. Its so great in the corners that it really surprised me to no end. The first time I drove it was in rush hour from Lower Parel to Peddar Road via Prabhadevi, so I really could not figure out much. But then day turned into night, and the silent wasp turned into a killer beast. I just couldn't believe myself as to how easily I could take turns without ever feeling the need to slow down. It was quick and composed, unlike other manufacturers cars I've driven. The steering is extremely responsive and extremely well weighted. I never ever feel like I'm losing control. There's only one car I've driven that would defeat this car in terms of handling and that is the Carrera S. Other than that I really can't remember any car that would even come close to this. COMFORT
This was an area I was actually scared of. I knew BMW's were always the sportier of the bunch so was always expecting a nightmare of hard suspension and broken backs, but again WOW! The seats are so amazing. They wrap you up and when your going fast in a corner, the active bolsters come up according to the speed and hold you in so you don't wiggle around. You can adjust the width according to yourself and the second best feature according to me is the fact that you can adjust the lower length of the seat so that you get support upto your knees. I know this is in all other BMW's but I just love it. The car eats bumps and potholes like anything. I was worried it would've been too low and too harsh but that is absolutely not the case. It goes over each and every speedbump and pothole with 4 people in the car and you really wouldn't notice it.
OK Thats it for now. I'll try and post some more info in some time but I'm quite tired typing all of this up right now. |