[chong0]

Just completed the 2-day M-school and drove the M5 through a number of different exercises including wet skid pad and full track in Spartanburg.

First, if any of the instructors read this board I just want to thank everyone involved with instruction because it is such a well-run program that I can't say enough about it. It is an absolutely fabulous experience and the school really showcases the different M cars including the M3 and 1M.

There is no doubt in my mind I will place an order come spring for a new M5. Funny enough I was between a panny gts and this car but after this program, I have solidified why I would want this car (though if I got a chance to track the gts that could change).

Acceleration is unreal. 3rd gear pulls like a nightmare. Braking from 115+ down to 40 to make a sharp 90 was extremely smooth and linear without any brake fade whatsoever, repeatedly. The M3 brakes were definitely inferior after repeated runs. I ran the car in sport plus settings but with mdm on. Floored acceleration from a stop does kick mdm on consistently. They had 5 M5s and 4 M3s running on their track at once and I felt that I was catching the m3s pretty quickly (though the other drivers were slower than me as I placed first in all events).

They gave us a memory stick that has telemetry and camera views of the runs that we took.

There was a big difference in feel between 1M and M5 but that is obvious. This car did not feel as big as I thought it would. The HUD is fantastic and is a must have in my opinion. There were no rattles or squeaks and I was pushing the aluminum trim everywhere to see if it was flimsy or shoddy.

Bottom line is that if you are not getting a coupe, this car is fantastic for its dual role.

Biggest decision now is figuring out between mc blue or champagne quartz.