My New Singapore Grey F10 M5 and Review - M5POST

Aussie F10M · 03-01-2012, 05:29 PM

Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

I picked up my F10 M5 about 24 hours ago. I have been waiting since June (when I paid the holding deposit for the car) for this car and the wait was hell. It is Singapore Gray, with Silverstone extended leather. We get an awful lot of things as standard on the car down here - the only things it doesn't have are the driver aids like radar cruise, night vision and lane departure.

Here are my thoughts - forgive the gushing !

General Observations: All I can say at this point is 'What a magnificent car'. I know a few other members of the forum have really been quite overwhelmed by how good the car is, and I was a little sceptical when I read some of their enthusiasm (no disrespect intended guys), but I have to say they are completely correct. The new M5 is absolutely awesome - the feeling you get behind the wheel really is sheer driving pleasure (I know that is a bit corny but trust me it is true).

Disclaimer: Although I drove the E60 M5 a few times I never owned it, so the comparisons I make below are to my two most recent BMWs the F10 535 and the E92 M3 (which remains an absolutely stunning car). I should also point out that the weather here in Sydney has been absolutely atrocious since I picked up the car so I have not really had the opportunity to open it up too much. I have only used the most tame modes of all settings so far.

Power: The 'power' of the car is incredible. The engine is an absolute beast. Is there turbo lag ? Yes there is. There is a fraction of a second before the turbos spool up. Is it a problem ? I have not found it to be a problem so far. The wall of torque you get when you put the foot down is quite intoxicating. I have never experienced anything like it in a car. Once it is up and running the power delivery is smooth and quite linear (at least as far as I have pushed it so far). It pushed you back in the seat hard, even on a wet road. The noise it makes when you lift off at 4000 rpm is awesome - some people refer to it as a fart, I think it is more of a growl. It is quite remarkable how quickly the engine responds when you have lifted off, growl happens, then you push the throttle again. The response really is as good as the M3's - from that point of view it is very hard to believe that it is a turbo engine. To sum up on the power, even thought it does have lag, in my view this engine is all that you could ever ask for in terms of power and delivery of power. Hats off the M engineers, again.

Sound: I know there is much talk about the active sound design - quite a few people seem to be very put off by it. I have to say that I have not noticed it in the sense that I cannot tell that any engine noise is coming through the sound system. It is very quiet and refined soundwise in side the car. Winding the window down as far as I dared in the rain I was very impressed with the noise the engine makes. It is quite hard to describe. The whistle of the turbos is very cool, but coolest of all is the low frequency sound coming from the exhaust. I know the E60 M5 sounded quite astounding, and against that benchmark I can understand why E60 owners would fail to be impressed by the noise of the F10M. Having said that, I really do not understand why others do not like the sound of the new M5. I think it is quite menacing. Blipping the throttle up to 2500 rpm makes a wicked throaty rumble.

Steering: One of the biggest disappointments to be on the F10 535 was the electric assisted steering. It lacked feel around centre, and worse, felt like it was resisting when changing steering angle in a corner [the steering on the F10 535 I had was the basic steering]. Coming from to the M5 the steering is sublime. The feel, weighting and response are perfect. Enough said.

Gearbox: The DCT is stunning. As I had one of the early DCT M3s my car was afflicted by the lack of responsiveness to the paddle shift, and worse, the low speed hesitation. It too ages to fix both of those problems through numerous software updates and changes, but even after they were fixed my DCT in the M3 really never worked as well as I thought it could. The DCT in the F10M could not be more different. I cannot fault it so far. The changes under power are seamless and instant with (and this is without testing the more aggressive shift modes yet) just the right amount of kick. The slow speed performance so far has been absolutely faultless as well.

Ride: In comfort the ride absolutely kills the ride in the F10 535 M Sport I recently got rid of. The 535 was at best jiggly on Sydney roads, and at worst, uncomfortable. I did not have the variable damper control on the 535 so maybe that was partly responsible for the problem. The ride on the M5 in the softest mode is really excellent. It soaks up bumps very well, and even in that mode I have not seen too much roll in the corners. I am looking forward to exploring the more aggressive suspension settings once the roads dry up down here.

Interior: What a luxurious place to be. The seats hold you in place very well, the leather is high quality and the range of adjustment makes it pretty easy to find a driving position that is just right. All Australian M5s come with the M seats and extended leather (you would want to hope so for a car that costs the equivalent of US$270,000), so we get the best of it, but it really creates an ambience which just screams quality. The smell is pretty awesome too !

Is there anything I don't like so far ? Probably the only thing is the shift paddles - I think it is a shame they have taken the paddles from a regular 5 and put them on the M. It is something that I am pretty unhappy about - the paddles on the M3 in the cold aluminium were brilliant. It is disappointing that they have not done something similar in the F10M. That is a small criticism in the scheme of things though.

It is very early days with the car - I am obviously still in the honeymoon period. Once I have had the privilege of spending a few weeks with the car I will post some further impressions.

I have posted some pictures. Apologies for the quality - the weather is terrible and I was using the phone !

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Rob@StrasseForged · 03-01-2012, 05:41 PM

Congrats and great review! Can't wait for the pics!!

AM47 · 03-01-2012, 06:00 PM

Congratulations very happy for you..........

///M5Canuck · 03-01-2012, 06:16 PM

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experiences!!

Aussie F10M · 03-01-2012, 07:39 PM

Thanks guys.

I have updated with some pics. Apologies for the poor quality.

This car is a beast to drive in the rain .....

singularity · 03-01-2012, 07:56 PM

Congratulations and drive safely

the exterior and interior combinations fit well and I envy your roads and temperature

drive it safely and post your opinions as you get to know the car

cidair · 03-01-2012, 08:28 PM

Congratulations!
Awesome review. Thanks for that. It means 1000 times more than any journalists thoughts in a car mag.

5 more weeks........................................:help :

09BlkSapphire · 03-01-2012, 09:27 PM

Congratsssss!! Thanks you and all the other owners for your reviews and photos. It makes our wait in North America that much harder but it's so fun to live vicariously through you all while I wait.

Of course most owners reviews are positive but these m5 reviews are so overwhelming positive it has to reflect how good the car really is

uhn2000 · 03-01-2012, 09:31 PM

Wonderful review, unlike other additions I really think that this car is a winner for BMW.

BMW BRAD · 03-01-2012, 09:40 PM

Great review! Awesome color! Enjoy the ride!

Diver · 03-01-2012, 10:00 PM

4 door rocket ship.

Jason · 03-01-2012, 10:07 PM

Congrats on joining the lucky ranks of the new M5 owners

Your comments and review are much appreciated.

I've added you to the F10 M5 owner's registry we're maintaining @ http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=656153

dardeca · 03-01-2012, 10:11 PM

Congrats on the car...IMO, the best color combination there is!!! I love the Singapore Grey!!!

Aussie F10M · 03-01-2012, 10:12 PM

Thanks Jason, and everyone. If anyone has any questions I'll obviously answer them as best I can. Once the weather improves down here I will post some better pics.

Rich@GTBPerformance · 03-01-2012, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aussie F10M

Thanks Jason, and everyone. If anyone has any questions I'll obviously answer them as best I can. Once the weather improves down here I will post some better pics.

Stunningly beautiful! Congratulations on the M5

I swear, that picture looks like the headlands around the Harbord Diggers... no?

sparkyg · 03-01-2012, 10:41 PM

What a fantastic colour and interior selection. Well done.

Great pics.

I cant believe how nice the brakes set off the blue in the Singapore Grey, just amazing.

Congrats, that a dream colour combo

I think you mean your interior is full merino or thats what they call it here. Basically wall to wall leather right?

Vertigo//SD · 03-01-2012, 10:53 PM

U2 "No Line on the Horizon"

clar · 03-01-2012, 11:07 PM

Congrats and welcome to the family

After u run-in the car, try S3 with sport plus throttle setting. When you lift off during WOT, it's not a growl. It's almost like an explosion

mtechnik3 · 03-01-2012, 11:10 PM

Nice color combo. Congrats on your new M5! Enjoyed your review and thoughts. Have fun, and be safe out there.

greentrbo95gst · 03-01-2012, 11:39 PM

So jealous!!! I cannot wait to order mine.

lux.sh · 03-01-2012, 11:44 PM

beautiful ride.

black out that fender grill chrome asap.

sparkyg · 03-02-2012, 12:03 AM

Yeah but the problem is there is a strip of chrome on each door handle so the trim works together that way.

You'd really need to clean up the door handles too.

I know there will be lots getting the front fender reflector painted.

03-01-2012, 05:29 PM	#1
Aussie F10M Lieutenant Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 505 iTrader: (0)	My New Singapore Grey F10 M5 and Review Featured on BIMMERPOST.com I picked up my F10 M5 about 24 hours ago. I have been waiting since June (when I paid the holding deposit for the car) for this car and the wait was hell. It is Singapore Gray, with Silverstone extended leather. We get an awful lot of things as standard on the car down here - the only things it doesn't have are the driver aids like radar cruise, night vision and lane departure. Here are my thoughts - forgive the gushing ! General Observations: All I can say at this point is 'What a magnificent car'. I know a few other members of the forum have really been quite overwhelmed by how good the car is, and I was a little sceptical when I read some of their enthusiasm (no disrespect intended guys), but I have to say they are completely correct. The new M5 is absolutely awesome - the feeling you get behind the wheel really is sheer driving pleasure (I know that is a bit corny but trust me it is true). Disclaimer: Although I drove the E60 M5 a few times I never owned it, so the comparisons I make below are to my two most recent BMWs the F10 535 and the E92 M3 (which remains an absolutely stunning car). I should also point out that the weather here in Sydney has been absolutely atrocious since I picked up the car so I have not really had the opportunity to open it up too much. I have only used the most tame modes of all settings so far. Power: The 'power' of the car is incredible. The engine is an absolute beast. Is there turbo lag ? Yes there is. There is a fraction of a second before the turbos spool up. Is it a problem ? I have not found it to be a problem so far. The wall of torque you get when you put the foot down is quite intoxicating. I have never experienced anything like it in a car. Once it is up and running the power delivery is smooth and quite linear (at least as far as I have pushed it so far). It pushed you back in the seat hard, even on a wet road. The noise it makes when you lift off at 4000 rpm is awesome - some people refer to it as a fart, I think it is more of a growl. It is quite remarkable how quickly the engine responds when you have lifted off, growl happens, then you push the throttle again. The response really is as good as the M3's - from that point of view it is very hard to believe that it is a turbo engine. To sum up on the power, even thought it does have lag, in my view this engine is all that you could ever ask for in terms of power and delivery of power. Hats off the M engineers, again. Sound: I know there is much talk about the active sound design - quite a few people seem to be very put off by it. I have to say that I have not noticed it in the sense that I cannot tell that any engine noise is coming through the sound system. It is very quiet and refined soundwise in side the car. Winding the window down as far as I dared in the rain I was very impressed with the noise the engine makes. It is quite hard to describe. The whistle of the turbos is very cool, but coolest of all is the low frequency sound coming from the exhaust. I know the E60 M5 sounded quite astounding, and against that benchmark I can understand why E60 owners would fail to be impressed by the noise of the F10M. Having said that, I really do not understand why others do not like the sound of the new M5. I think it is quite menacing. Blipping the throttle up to 2500 rpm makes a wicked throaty rumble. Steering: One of the biggest disappointments to be on the F10 535 was the electric assisted steering. It lacked feel around centre, and worse, felt like it was resisting when changing steering angle in a corner [the steering on the F10 535 I had was the basic steering]. Coming from to the M5 the steering is sublime. The feel, weighting and response are perfect. Enough said. Gearbox: The DCT is stunning. As I had one of the early DCT M3s my car was afflicted by the lack of responsiveness to the paddle shift, and worse, the low speed hesitation. It too ages to fix both of those problems through numerous software updates and changes, but even after they were fixed my DCT in the M3 really never worked as well as I thought it could. The DCT in the F10M could not be more different. I cannot fault it so far. The changes under power are seamless and instant with (and this is without testing the more aggressive shift modes yet) just the right amount of kick. The slow speed performance so far has been absolutely faultless as well. Ride: In comfort the ride absolutely kills the ride in the F10 535 M Sport I recently got rid of. The 535 was at best jiggly on Sydney roads, and at worst, uncomfortable. I did not have the variable damper control on the 535 so maybe that was partly responsible for the problem. The ride on the M5 in the softest mode is really excellent. It soaks up bumps very well, and even in that mode I have not seen too much roll in the corners. I am looking forward to exploring the more aggressive suspension settings once the roads dry up down here. Interior: What a luxurious place to be. The seats hold you in place very well, the leather is high quality and the range of adjustment makes it pretty easy to find a driving position that is just right. All Australian M5s come with the M seats and extended leather (you would want to hope so for a car that costs the equivalent of US$270,000), so we get the best of it, but it really creates an ambience which just screams quality. The smell is pretty awesome too ! Is there anything I don't like so far ? Probably the only thing is the shift paddles - I think it is a shame they have taken the paddles from a regular 5 and put them on the M. It is something that I am pretty unhappy about - the paddles on the M3 in the cold aluminium were brilliant. It is disappointing that they have not done something similar in the F10M. That is a small criticism in the scheme of things though. It is very early days with the car - I am obviously still in the honeymoon period. Once I have had the privilege of spending a few weeks with the car I will post some further impressions. I have posted some pictures. Apologies for the quality - the weather is terrible and I was using the phone ! __________________ Current: Singapore Grey 2012 M5 Last edited by Aussie F10M; 03-01-2012 at 07:38 PM. Reason: Updated with pictures
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03-01-2012, 05:41 PM	#2
Rob@StrasseForged Drives: 2013 MW/FR E92 M3 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,141 iTrader: (1)	Congrats and great review! Can't wait for the pics!! __________________ Robert@StrasseForged.com \| (305)303-1190 \| Facebook \| Flickr

03-01-2012, 07:39 PM	#5
Aussie F10M Lieutenant Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 505 iTrader: (0)	Thanks guys. I have updated with some pics. Apologies for the poor quality. This car is a beast to drive in the rain ..... __________________ Current: Singapore Grey 2012 M5

03-01-2012, 08:28 PM	#7
cidair cidair Drives: 2012 BMW M5 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 466 iTrader: (0)	Congratulations! Awesome review. Thanks for that. It means 1000 times more than any journalists thoughts in a car mag. 5 more weeks........................................:help : __________________ 2012 ///M5 Silverstone/Black, 19" 2011 K1600GT Light Grey 1973 Yamaha RD350 blue smoke! Previous:2011 550ix,2008 ///M3,2007 330xd,2005 ///M5 2004 545iA,2000 ///M5.

03-01-2012, 09:31 PM	#9
uhn2000 Big K... Drives: F10 M5, Cayenne S Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 1,301 iTrader: (0)	Wonderful review, unlike other additions I really think that this car is a winner for BMW. __________________ R8GT Spyder '12 / M5 '13 (MT)

03-01-2012, 06:00 PM	#3
AM47 Driver Drives: M5,X5M, 911 Turbo Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 122 iTrader: (0)	Congratulations very happy for you..........

03-01-2012, 06:16 PM	#4
///M5Canuck Private Drives: BMW 535i xDrive Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 89 iTrader: (1)	Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experiences!!

03-01-2012, 07:56 PM	#6
singularity Driver Drives: M5 (F10) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Slovakia Posts: 525 iTrader: (0)	Congratulations and drive safely the exterior and interior combinations fit well and I envy your roads and temperature drive it safely and post your opinions as you get to know the car

03-01-2012, 09:27 PM	#8
09BlkSapphire SFinnery Drives: 335i Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: LA Posts: 669 iTrader: (0)	Congratsssss!! Thanks you and all the other owners for your reviews and photos. It makes our wait in North America that much harder but it's so fun to live vicariously through you all while I wait. Of course most owners reviews are positive but these m5 reviews are so overwhelming positive it has to reflect how good the car really is

03-01-2012, 09:40 PM	#10
BMW BRAD Major Drives: Modded BMW's Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Chino Hills Ca. Posts: 1,121 iTrader: (10)	Great review! Awesome color! Enjoy the ride!

03-01-2012, 10:00 PM	#11
Diver Colonel Drives: Black '12 135i DCT PPK Msport Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 2,030 iTrader: (0)	4 door rocket ship. __________________ See my photography at http://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com

03-01-2012, 10:07 PM	#12
Jason Administrator Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IoT Posts: 13,929 iTrader: (0)	Congrats on joining the lucky ranks of the new M5 owners Your comments and review are much appreciated. I've added you to the F10 M5 owner's registry we're maintaining @ http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=656153 __________________ Check on the Latest BMW News Become a fan of Bimmerpost Facebook Follow us on Bimmerpost Twitter Subscribe to Bimmerpost Youtube Channel

03-01-2012, 10:11 PM	#13
dardeca Lieutenant Drives: 2011 M3 E92 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Dallas Posts: 453 iTrader: (1)	Congrats on the car...IMO, the best color combination there is!!! I love the Singapore Grey!!! __________________ M3 Supplemental manual p.38: "The laws of physics cannot be repealed, even with DSC."

03-01-2012, 10:12 PM	#14
Aussie F10M Lieutenant Drives: F10 M5 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 505 iTrader: (0)	Thanks Jason, and everyone. If anyone has any questions I'll obviously answer them as best I can. Once the weather improves down here I will post some better pics. __________________ Current: Singapore Grey 2012 M5

03-01-2012, 10:41 PM	#16
sparkyg Brigadier General Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oil Country Posts: 3,282 iTrader: (5) Garage List 2008 E90 M3 [3.50]	What a fantastic colour and interior selection. Well done. Great pics. I cant believe how nice the brakes set off the blue in the Singapore Grey, just amazing. Congrats, that a dream colour combo I think you mean your interior is full merino or thats what they call it here. Basically wall to wall leather right? __________________

03-01-2012, 10:53 PM	#17
Vertigo//SD Second Lieutenant Drives: '13 X1 xDrive28i M-sport Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 295 iTrader: (1)	U2 "No Line on the Horizon"

03-01-2012, 11:07 PM	#18
clar Captain Drives: M3/M5 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Singapore Posts: 601 iTrader: (0)	Congrats and welcome to the family After u run-in the car, try S3 with sport plus throttle setting. When you lift off during WOT, it's not a growl. It's almost like an explosion __________________ Current Rides: - Frozen Grey E92 M3 DCT w Perf Exhaust - Frozen Grey F10 M5 DCT

03-01-2012, 11:10 PM	#19
mtechnik3 Bayerische Motoren Werke Drives: 135i Coupe Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Rochester Hills, MI Posts: 2,325 iTrader: (21) Garage List 2011 E82 BMW 135i C ... [4.00]	Nice color combo. Congrats on your new M5! Enjoyed your review and thoughts. Have fun, and be safe out there. __________________ 2011 135i Coupe \| Black Sapphire Metallic over Savanna Beige \| Photos

03-01-2012, 11:39 PM	#20
greentrbo95gst Second Lieutenant Drives: 2013 Azurite Black M5 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Orange County Posts: 204 iTrader: (0)	So jealous!!! I cannot wait to order mine. __________________ 2013 M5 Azurite Black.....May 10th 2013 ED 2008 Saphire Black M5/2003 BMW M5 (My favorite) 2011 Lemans Blue 335d M/2001 AA supercharged 325ci http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...63542371_n.jpg

03-01-2012, 11:44 PM	#21
lux.sh missing two turbos. Drives: fast around corners. Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Curves Posts: 4,862 iTrader: (12) Garage List 2006 BMW E90 330i [0.00]	beautiful ride. black out that fender grill chrome asap. __________________ 06 AW E90 330i ZPP/ZSP/Step/Expired Warranty : Prior Design Front : ACS Rear : ACS Roof : BlackLines : Simota Intake : Carbon Fiber Interior Trim : : MTEC V3 : 24% Charcoal : V1 Hardwired : Solaris Invisibulbs/LED interior :

03-02-2012, 12:03 AM	#22
sparkyg Brigadier General Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oil Country Posts: 3,282 iTrader: (5) Garage List 2008 E90 M3 [3.50]	Yeah but the problem is there is a strip of chrome on each door handle so the trim works together that way. You'd really need to clean up the door handles too. I know there will be lots getting the front fender reflector painted. __________________

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