09-23-2012, 06:48 PM | #1 |
Knight Commander
558
Rep 5,948
Posts
Drives: 2014 911 Turbo S
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Buckhead
iTrader: (0)
Garage List 2014 Porsche 911 Tu ... [10.00]
2015 Mercedes-Benz ... [0.00] 2015 Jaguar F Type R [0.00] 2014 BMW M5 [0.00] |
2013 M5 Individual - European Delivery
Featured on BIMMERPOST.com It was an epic trip:
For this group I will share my observations relative to my previous car – a 2012 550i M-Sport Dinan Stage 2 with the sportiest configuration (IAS, ARS, DDC, RWD and Michelin Pilot Super Sports). Also as context, I am a driver who enjoys a more digital driving experience. I have been a fan of EPS, IAS, ARS, DDC, etc. So I was fully ready for the innovations the M5 would throw at me and I had high expectations. I am glad to say my expectations were met and exceeded. IMPRESSIONS OF THE M5 The sound is very sexy. There is a growl when you press the start button. During warm up the car sounds like a beast. In the Sportier settings the car sounds like that all the time. In Salzburg and Vienna I remember people would turn their heads every time I pressed the throttle. It is loud! The burbling on the downshifts sounds fantastic. This car sounds like what you expected a sports car to sound like when you were a kid, and it is inspiring. Astonishing thrust. This thing really attacks the road. If you need to chase someone down, you need an M5. The difference in power between the M5 and the 550i Dinan Stage 2 is bigger than the power difference between the 550i and the 550i Dinan Stage 2. It is a huge difference which likely is the combination of an estimated additional 120hp (based on dynos I have seen) and the fact that the car is so much better at getting power to the ground thanks to Active M differential. DCT, and bigger tires. The thrust is just astonishing. Some magazines have achieved 0-60 in 3.6 seconds – I certainly believe it. It also means it is very easy to pass on single lane country roads in Austria, Switzerland and Germany - we must have passed ~160 cars on single lane roads. Sometimes passing 7 or 8 cars in a single maneuver and there weren’t any long straights either! No lag or throttle delay in Sport+. When I drove the M5 in Andalucia last year I raised concerns of turbo lag. It turns out that must have been the DSC. I found the throttle response to be near instantaneous in the 2013 M5. It felt like the responsiveness of an NA engine with the low end torque of a turbo. Clearly the design which places the turbos inside the V to reduce lag is a winner. The absence of lag was a huge contrast to the Panny Turbo I test drove in July. Note -there is still lag in Effiency mode, but that doesn’t surprise me, and I would not recommend that mode. The DCT is an engineering marvel but needs one more gear. Shifts are incredibly quick and crisp. Even in sport+ they don’t seem harsh, but they are instantaneous. It seems noticeably quicker than Porsche’s PDK, and substantially better than what you find in a Lambo or Ferrari. The M-HUD offers shift lights which make shifting with such a precise gearbox an incredible delight. It is a precision instrument, which can be driven with extreme precision thanks to the M-HUD shift indicator light. However, at higher speeds I missed the 8th gear of the 550i. I think an 8th gear would be useful. Superb handling in mountains and on the autobahn. Despite the traffic, I was executing high speed corners and overtaking maneuvers on the Grossglockner – basically on the side of a mountain. To do this I had to put the car in Sport Plus mode for Steering and Suspension, and Sport for engine, with transmission in D2. The amount of control in the switchbacks was superb. The car felt like a small car – in fact it was cornering better and faster than my 2004 M3 on the side of a mountain. The car also feels very stable in high corners. The highways in Austria and Switzerland curve a lot, and I was taking medium to high speed corners at 120mph+, in fact in Germany I hit 150mph on a gently curved section of autobahn. This is partly driven by the suspension and the bigger tires, but also the steering which provides enough weight and feedback to give you more confidence at those speeds. But contrast the 550i never inspired the same degree of confidence required to corner at those speeds. The steering is sublime. I am as you all know a big advocate of electric steering. The M5 has hydraulic steering, however it has contextually variable assist and 3 modes – comfort, sport and sport+ which vary the amount of assist and the amount of feedback. Comfort and Sport are both comfortable at low speeds unlike previous M cars. In all modes there is more feedback than in the 550i, however the amount of control and feedback in Sport and Sport+ mode is very impressive. Again it trumps my 2004 M3 – the feedback almost seems exaggerated in Sport+ mode so you know exactly what is going on. The variable assist is a feature of EPS which is integrated very well in the M5 hydraulic setup. In Sport mode, I found it very comfortable around town and parking lots, yet had the firmness and stability needed for precise cornering in the switchbacks on the mountain side. Very impressive. M Dynamic Mode in combination with the M DCT is really fun. The car is most responsive in this setup, instant response, gets power down very effectively, some wheel slip or fish-tailing if you aren’t careful, and ability to powerslide in a controlled way. The car is not limited – I hit 162mph and it still had plenty of accelerating power at that speed – traffic prevented me from exploring further. Ride quality is not up to 550i standards, but surprisingly good around town. Since my GF was working, I took my parents with me who are used to driving a Lexus GS460, and they thought the ride quality was very good. I thought it was comparable to Sport mode around town, although once you exceed 100mph even comfort mode is not as good as the 550i in any mode. That may be the price for more road feel and control at high speeds. The brakes could be better. They are very good in the sense that you can brake hard and the car will track straight without any issues. There is excellent precision in braking. However I feel it needs bigger brakes and more stopping power. The brakes were a key reason I couldn’t exceed 162mph – the traffic made me nervous given the brakes. Car looks and feels much more expensive than the 550i. The individual interior is superb. I am glad I read Highyo’s quote that said that Platinum Merino with PianoBlack is a Killer combination, and Needsdecaf’s idea of sticking with a Platinum Alcantara interior to create a light modern interior. It is superb. Also the Bang and Olufsen sound system is superb. I parked the car next to a Rolls-Royce Ghost at the Park Hyatt in Zurich, and I thought the M5 interior looked better (they were both the same color combination). The car also drew a lot of looks. In Berne a bunch of guys started photographing the car. On several occasions I saw pedestrians and other drivers giving me a thumbs up. There were a lot of people staring in all cities. I found the attention entertaining, but also a little disturbing – one of the things I like about the M5 over the Panny is that it is supposed to be low profile. The only disappointment aesthetically is the absence of ceramic controls. The new nav had routing issues I ran into several insane routing problems with the nav (like what Needsdecaf has posted with the 2011 nav). I have never had such issues with the 2012 nav, so I found this disconcerting. Hopefully it was an ED map issue, and won't recur stateside. Also I didn't find the graphics much better than the 2012 version. Seemed very similar except for the routing problems on the new one. Overall – I love the upgrade and am glad I made the switch to the M5. I have never been so excited every time I fire up a car. A few things I miss about the 550i: - Highway ride quality - Ceramic Controls - Auto-Handbrake - Auto high beams Some pictures
__________________
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Ordered: EQS580, BMW IX, Lucid Air Touring, Corvette Stingray Last edited by stealth.pilot; 09-23-2012 at 08:36 PM.. |
09-23-2012, 07:03 PM | #3 |
Private
1
Rep 87
Posts
Drives: E84 sDrive, F10 M5...expecting
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manhattan; Taiwan-South
|
Great trip and article!!!! Thanks for sharing!
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-23-2012, 09:40 PM | #6 |
Yankee Air Pirate
151
Rep 978
Posts |
Wow, your interior is stunning! What a fantastic color combo. thanks for you well-informed review and comparison.
__________________
2020 ///M5 || 2019 540XI || 2014 ///M5 w/CP || My Epic ED trip report|| || 2009 BMW R1200RT
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 01:48 AM | #8 |
First Lieutenant
23
Rep 359
Posts |
great pics and nice write up. That platinum/black is the killer combo.
__________________
Need to get away? http://www.daringvacations.com
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 05:31 AM | #9 |
Major
357
Rep 1,377
Posts |
Congratulations Stealth! Beautiful car. I'm glad you were able to take delivery on time. I hope you enjoy it for many years (months?) to come.
__________________
Current: 2015 X5 M - Donington Grey/Mugello Red - DINANTRONICS Stage 2 + Free Flow Exhaust - Bimmerpost Featured!
Past: Bimmerpost Featured 2014 X5 xDrive50i · 2014 Jeep SRT · 2013 Tesla Model S P85+ · Bimmerpost Featured 2013 F10 M5 · 2012 550 xDrive · 2011 M3 ZCP |
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 05:38 AM | #10 |
Major
357
Rep 1,377
Posts |
BTW - I believe I can code auto highbeams. I will be home in a day or so and am going to attempt. I'm really surprised the option isn't there since it is camera-based. Instead of the stalk-based controls you can toggle it on/off in iDrive.
I'll let you know if I'm successful.
__________________
Current: 2015 X5 M - Donington Grey/Mugello Red - DINANTRONICS Stage 2 + Free Flow Exhaust - Bimmerpost Featured!
Past: Bimmerpost Featured 2014 X5 xDrive50i · 2014 Jeep SRT · 2013 Tesla Model S P85+ · Bimmerpost Featured 2013 F10 M5 · 2012 550 xDrive · 2011 M3 ZCP |
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 05:52 AM | #11 | |
Knight Commander
558
Rep 5,948
Posts
Drives: 2014 911 Turbo S
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Buckhead
iTrader: (0)
Garage List 2014 Porsche 911 Tu ... [10.00]
2015 Mercedes-Benz ... [0.00] 2015 Jaguar F Type R [0.00] 2014 BMW M5 [0.00] |
Quote:
__________________
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Ordered: EQS580, BMW IX, Lucid Air Touring, Corvette Stingray |
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 06:42 AM | #12 |
Internet Crash Test Dummy
331
Rep 1,055
Posts
Drives: F97 X3MC / F80 M3 / F90 M5
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Under a rock in NH and BOS
|
Nice review . Now the wait to get mine is even harder
But at least I had a fully broken in one over the weekend here in Munich and I can tell you an unlimited M5 will scratch the 200 mark. I agree the features missing are high beam assist (would be great if indeed they could be coded) and auto handbrake . It also turns out the ///M Performance Carbon Interior trim has just been released. It should come in this Friday and I'll hopefully get it installed on Tuesday (day after taking delivery) ...
__________________
21 F97 X3MC Toronto Red/Black and more | 18 F80 M3 Tanzanite Blue/Amaro/CCB and more
15 F10 M5 Individual / Brilliant White / Extended/Full Cohiba Brown (Exec/Driver/B&O/20") / A few Euro add-ons / Stealth K40 / Upgraded B&O / ///M Performance Carbon Interior Trim / IND / Akrapovic Evolution Exhaust / HRE S107 |
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 02:11 PM | #15 |
Colonel
2306
Rep 2,020
Posts
Drives: INDIVIDUAL F90 M5C LCI
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Lauderdale
|
congrats!! Great write up, great pictures, and WOW what a beautiful car you optioned out. Love the piano blk trim, B&O, interior and exterior color choices. How is the color in the sun? Im sure the pictures don't do it justice
__________________
CURRENT: '21 M5| FSHNGRY | TARTUFO | CCB | MPE | KW | IND | EVENTURI | EISENMANN | DINAN | LOADED |
GONE: '15 F82 M4 | YMB | IND | MPERF | KW | BM3 | LOADED GONE: '11 E92 335IS | BLKSPHR | OYSTER | LOADED GONE: '05 E46 ZHP | LOADED | DINAN STG3 PKG | IG: @FSHNGRY |
Appreciate
0
|
09-24-2012, 02:19 PM | #16 |
Knight Commander
558
Rep 5,948
Posts
Drives: 2014 911 Turbo S
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Buckhead
iTrader: (0)
Garage List 2014 Porsche 911 Tu ... [10.00]
2015 Mercedes-Benz ... [0.00] 2015 Jaguar F Type R [0.00] 2014 BMW M5 [0.00] |
The Monte Carlo Blue looks best in the Sun and at night, but doesn't look as good in shaded weather. It has a lot of xirallic content which makes for an interesting sparkle under the sun.
__________________
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Ordered: EQS580, BMW IX, Lucid Air Touring, Corvette Stingray |
Appreciate
0
|
09-26-2012, 08:51 AM | #19 |
Lieutenant
19
Rep 505
Posts |
So you'r saying MCB would not be a good choice in the North East with our gray, snowy winters? lol I sat in a MCB F10 M5 this weekend at my dealer. Looked AMAZING in the showroom, but I wondered how it would look in the winter months with out bright lights to make the color really POP.
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-26-2012, 08:56 AM | #20 |
BMW obsessed
9571
Rep 10,855
Posts |
Great story, great photos, and great review! I completely agree on several points- the steering assist is truly impressive, both in it's ability to maintain a high level of driver comfort, and in the amazing feedback available in sport +. Agreed on the brakes also- we found their performance to be less than perfect in a performance driving environment.
Congratulations on the M5!
__________________
|
Appreciate
0
|
09-26-2012, 09:30 AM | #22 |
Lieutenant
15
Rep 593
Posts |
Congrats and enjoy!!!
__________________
2020 M8 GC Donington Grey Metallic
2013 M5 Moonstone Metallic (sold) 2011 550i Dark Graphite Metallic (sold) 2007 750Li Black Sapphire Metallic (sold) |
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|