[hinckley]

As many of you know from a prior post, I picked up a Sakhir M5 6MT a couple of days ago. I drove it about 400 miles over the weekend before I put it away for a month or so just as snow flakes were beginning to fall. I absolutely fell in love with the car and bonded with it so much that I was worried how I would feel getting into my other car. Let me explain.

While I've owned many BMWs over the years, I've also owned many other cars from Porsches and Audis to Hondas, Acuras, Saabs, Volvos and others (hell, I owned a Merkur - younger readers should go to Wikipedia). About 18 months ago, I got tired of waiting for the M5 and needed to scratch an itch, so I bought an Audi S4 6MT. I had initially thought of it as an interim solution, but was quickly blown away by the car. It's very fast, has a very effective trick rear sport diff, it's luxurious and smooth driving, and it's been a tank driving through this winter's many snow storms. The S4 is 80% of the M5 for 60% of the cost. I like it so much that I decided to keep it and trade my Porsche Targa4S for the M5. But after this weekend's drive, I was worried that the S4 would disappoint me. It didn't.

Then last night, I read another scathing Car and Driver review of the M5 and it got me to thinking. The S4 is "seat of the pants" fun. It lurched forward merging onto the highway and darted around rush hour traffic. The M5 is a much more sophisticated drive. It's sooo smooth and does everything without commotion that I understand how it could be described as "aloof". It's really become the epitome of the stealth German uber-sedan. It's not the visceral E39 M5 or the raucous E60 M5. But as an owner, it's what I want. C&D's reviewers may not agree, but then, they're not actually the ones spending the money. C&D has just got this one wrong. If they want a boy-racer, they should look at a WRX. If you want 21st century sophistication, look at the M5.

One other thing. I do understand that the DCT better fits this M5's character (I'm trying not to use the "sophisticated" word again). But I want a stick. And it took me precisely four shifts to find the clutch's pick-up point and every shift has been smooth since. And BMW's sticks have always, always had long-ish throws. It never bothered C&D before. Why now? I really am beginning to believe these guys just have a hair across their a$$ with this car. Btw, my first set of mods will include IND's upcoming short-throw.

This is the first time a car mag's reviews are really bothering me, but I do agree with C&D on one thing . . . Sakhir is "a beautiful color. "