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      09-17-2012, 03:51 PM   #1
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My New Titaniun Silver Individual F10 M5 - Bye GTR, Hello F10

After swapping my E60 M5 for a GTR around 18 months ago I have come back to BMW’s finest saloon in the form of an F10 M5.
As a new member to this forum (having participated on other M5 forums in the past), I thought I would explain my rationale for changing and my personal comparison of the M5 and GTR. I acknowledge that the two are very different cars, but there are certainly some people who consider them as viable alternatives when looking for a new car (myself included, obviously).
I will warn you that what follows is not particularly well structured – if you want to save yourself the time of ploughing through my no doubt badly written entry, you can skip to the comparison areas at the end…

My experience and comparison of the GTR and M5 is best framed by describing my journey last Friday to pick up the M5.

I had found a barely used M5 with 1350 miles on the clock in the colour and spec I was looking for, but with a significant discount off the new price. The only minor issue was that the car was around 400 miles away in Edinburgh (I live in London). I was planning on visiting family in Yorkshire for the weekend so I convinced myself that adding a few hundred miles onto my weekend motoring was a reasonable thing to do to buy a new car.

My original intention was to set off at the crack of dawn on Friday to beat the busy morning traffic across London. However, due to my wife’s work commitments I needed to drop my daughter off at school at 8:30 before setting off.

So I loaded our weekend bags into the GTR (my wife and daughter were getting the train up on Saturday) and took my daughter to school. Pulling up in the school car park reminded me of one reason I had decided to change from the GTR. Although the GTR can easily accommodate my family (my 5 year old daughter, wife and me) and can in theory be used as a practical day-to-day car, I found it too conspicuous and hence did not use it anywhere near the amount I should. Taking my girl to school was one example – the GTR stood out amongst the cars parked at the school car park and not in a good way. It just looked like it was trying too hard relative to the other cars there and driving the GTR to school made me feel a bit like I was having a mid-life crises (and I am only 34!).

I travelled through the traffic of London and was again satisfied with my decision to move on from the GTR, across the poorly surfaced roads and speed bumps of the capital the ride of the GTR is too harsh (even with the improved comfort setting introduced in the 2011/12 models).

After battling through the London traffic and onto the motorway, I started to make progress and the 440 miles of my chosen route started to tumble. Again, there were stark reminders of why I was selling the Nissan. The road noise at motorway speeds was acceptable when travelling on my own (and I could just turn up the stereo), but when travelling with my family we would often have to shout to each other (purely from road noise – my GTR was standard and hence the exhaust was not overbearing at all). In fact, on several occasions my wife would complain of headaches after travelling in the GTR for a long time on the motorway due to the persistent barrage of road noise.

I also found the GTR’s seats to be uncomfortable. At 6’ tall and 170lb, I fit into the GTR seat nicely, but I found the seat very hard and struggled with the lack of thigh support – after 2-3 hours of driving I found my leg would ache and I had resorted to using a cushion or rolled-up shirt under my thigh on long journeys.

With my homemade comfort improvements I made good progress travelling up the country and was on target to get to the BMW dealer at around 4pm.
As I passed the border, I started to question the sat Nav’s route. Road signs were showing 60 miles to Edinburgh or Glasgow, but the Sat Nav showed 90 miles to my destination. Looking a bit further, I could see that the Sat Nav felt that staying on the motorway was preferable whereas it was obvious I could head across country and cut off a large distance. I opted for the shorter route.
Heading onto the A704 I started to fall in love with the GTR again.

The A704 is a fairly-heavily travelled single carriageway road that sweeps and cuts through a number of small towns and villages. And it is on this kind of road that the GTR excels. The overtaking pace, coupled with the confidence of 4wd make the GTR almost untouchable on these roads. I overtook columns of cars easily and corners were absolutely demolished. An Impreza STi tried to give chase after I overtook him and a truck but within two bends he disappeared completely from my rear view mirror.

Alas, the A704 was too short and I soon arrived back on the main roads around Edinburgh. And I started to reflect – the last 25 minutes or so had reminded me how great the GTR is. But, I live in London and the majority of the 9,500 miles on my GTR have been done on motorways with my family in the car. I don’t have the time on weekends to travel out of London and find decent driving roads just for the fun of it. If I did, I would have kept the GTR. But instead, I want a car that handles the school run, motorway cruising and offers some fun when I get the rare chance. Admittedly, the GTR can do all this (hence I bought it), but it is just fundamentally flawed in the areas I spend most of my time.

I arrived at the BMW dealership at around 3:30 and saw my new car parked at the front waiting for me. It was my first time seeing an M5 in Titanium Silver in the flesh, and I was very pleased. Having seen white and Silverstone M5s I knew I wanted a lighter colour. My E60 was black and I thought that car looked amazing, but for me (and this is clearly very personal taste) the F10 looks better in lighter colours – they seem to show off the lines much better.

The handover was relatively smooth and I was soon being orientated with my new car. Many of the controls feel familiar from the E60, but the F10 feels even more spacious inside and even more comfortable.

Once I set off, I had 220 miles to travel to Harrogate to stay with family for the weekend. The first 120 miles or so were motorway and the M5 easily addressed my concerns from the GTR – its refined, comfortable and relatively quiet.

However, it was when I headed East across the A66 that the M5 really surprised me. The A66 is a winding combination of single- and dual-carriageway. Although clearly not as fast or poised as the GTR, the M5 handled its bulk exceptionally well through sweeping bends. I stepped up the steering and damper settings to Race from Comfort when I came off the motorway (throttle response was set to race pretty soon after setting off in the M5 as I immediately found comfort far too lazy) and the car felt significantly tighter and better balanced.

The journey to Harrogate was spent getting familiar with the new car, but I have since spent another 300 miles with it and have listed my thoughts below:

Performance

If anyone is in any doubt, the M5 is materially slower than a GTR in any real-life environment. Compared to the E60, the new car is faster, but does not feel it (at least once moving). The E60 felt very tense and ready to push on it at any time – I find the F10 to be quick, but in a relaxed fashion. It is certainly a very fast executive saloon compared to the E60 which felt more like a race car with 4 doors.

In a straight line, the F10 puts on speed in an almost detached way – the speedo shows the numbers increasing but you do not get the same sense of speed as the E60 or GTR.

The F10 does sometimes struggles to get the power down. Coming aggressively off a roundabout, the back end wants to spin up and the traction control often flickers. Clearly, the 4wd of the GTR has probably made me a bit too lead-footed, but anyone looking at tuning the F10 for more power is going to find that extra power almost useless in regular driving.

One issue I always had with the GTR was the placement of the shifters – I was used to paddles that moved with the wheel as well as being able to shift gear using the ever. The GTR’s only offered paddle shifting and the paddles were attached to the steering column. Because of this, I found that I more often left the transmission in the “Auto” setting so, for me, its great to be back in an M5 offering a more comfortable way to manually shift. However, the F10 could be improved with larger paddles.

In terms of the shifts, I find very little to differentiate the gearboxes of the BMW and Nissan. Both transmissions are superb (although I loved the SMG of the E60).

The brakes of the F10 feel significantly weaker and invoke more body movement than the GTR, so much so that my wife commented that she felt less safe overtaking in the M5. I did have the suspension set to comfort at the time, so this may improve with a firmer setting?

Comfort

There is no real point further comparing the GTR and M5. The GTR did work for our family of three, but it was always a significant compromise.
The M5 seats are superb - mine has the M-multifunction seats and having travelled for 4 hours continuously back to London yesterday I arrived feeling relaxed and as if I could have spent many more hours.

The seats also have the massaging “oscillating seat base function”. I have only given this a short try but I wouldn’t bother choosing it – it causes a lump to rotate around the seat base and it feels unnatural and pretty uncomfortable to me.

Toys / UI

The iDrive interface in the M5 feels slicker than the E60 (mine was built in 2007), but still very familiar. However, it still feels very antiquated compared to the GTR. The touch screen of the GTR was wonderful to use, and the finish of all the screens was great. The iDrive looks nice for the most part, but it has ugly grey boxes that provide details of arrival time and distance remaining in the Sat Nav screen that look very out-of-place.

That said, the location of the iDrive controller makes for much better interaction whilst driving. The GTR required you to select buttons near the screen (or use the screen itself) which was more difficult whilst the car was moving.

In the F10, I also like how I can see a track listing (and select tracks) from my ipod in the instrument cluster using controls on the steering wheel. Moving between tracks s also much quicker than the GTR which had a significant lag between selecting (or skipping) a track and it starting to play.

It is great to have a HUD again. I missed the HUD when I sold my E60 and the new one is much improved with navigation data and a much sharper display.

I use the phone a reasonable amount whilst driving and the GTR was awful in terms of Bluetooth quality – I had to shout to allow the other person to hear me (both road noise and very poor microphones). The Bluetooth in the M5 is comfortable to use at a regular speaking volume (and my phone syncs its contact list much better in the M5).

My car also has the surround-view which seems a little disappointing at first use (although it was very dark when I used it so I will reserve judgement). The power boot lid is nice (if a little unnecessary). I have not yet had chance to use the Internet function. Similarly, I have not had opportunity to test the seat ventilation.

Overall

For me, the F10 represents a great compromise of performance and comfort in a subtle and elegant package. I think the stylists have got the look just right – it is more aggressive than a regular 5 series without being too shout and look-at-me. The exhaust note similarly speaks of the potential of the V8 but does so in a self-assured way without needing everyone to look around.

In comfort settings, the F10 is a more remote driving experience than the E60 and GTR, but I have found this just makes the car very relaxing to drive on long motorway journeys. However, dial the dampers up and it is still very rewarding once you throw a few corners in.

My new car and pictures

My F10 is Individual Titanium Silver with Black interior. Rather unusually, this colour is a standard colour for the regular 5-series but not on the M5.

A few pictures from outside the dealership are in the post below. I will post up some more once I get chance.
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      09-17-2012, 03:54 PM   #2
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Pictures...





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      09-17-2012, 03:54 PM   #3
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Congrats. Looking great
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      09-17-2012, 04:02 PM   #4
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Nice writeup thanks for sharing. Congrats on the new car.

Never driven the GTR but the differences you point out are as expected. Two different types of cars only sharing similar price point.
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      09-17-2012, 04:24 PM   #5
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I think you're the only one who ever spoke fondly of the E60 M5's SMG.
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      09-17-2012, 04:39 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by juddholland
I think you're the only one who ever spoke fondly of the E60 M5's SMG.
I loved the SMG when driving in anger. It just sucked when you wanted to be lazy around town, or use it in auto - which I never did.
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      09-17-2012, 04:42 PM   #7
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Nice review and congrats. Previously owned a GTR as well and the comparison is spot on. The M5 is fun but man.... this thing is BIG. And I always thought the GTR was porky. It's like a featherweight compared to the M.
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      09-17-2012, 05:26 PM   #8
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Enjoy it man!!!
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      09-18-2012, 01:30 AM   #9
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great write-up, congrats!
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      09-18-2012, 07:17 AM   #10
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I completely understand your comments on the gtr. I traded in my 2012 gtr for the m5. While the gtr is a better performing car at the track the m 5 does both jobs. Excellent track car and comfortable daily cruiser. I also felt like the gtr was a mid life crisis car and I'm only 38. For what it's worth my bone stock gtr ran 11.00s at the track,and my m5 has run a11.78 ( only ran it three times so far).
To me that's not such a bad trade off. I also never really felt that the gtr was worth almost a hundred grand.
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      09-24-2012, 11:49 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2013awm5 View Post
I completely understand your comments on the gtr. I traded in my 2012 gtr for the m5. While the gtr is a better performing car at the track the m 5 does both jobs. Excellent track car and comfortable daily cruiser. I also felt like the gtr was a mid life crisis car and I'm only 38. For what it's worth my bone stock gtr ran 11.00s at the track,and my m5 has run a11.78 ( only ran it three times so far).
To me that's not such a bad trade off. I also never really felt that the gtr was worth almost a hundred grand.

Sub in 911s for gtr and you and me are the same. I'm 37.

Last edited by LAKEOM5; 09-25-2012 at 09:58 AM..
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      09-25-2012, 03:24 AM   #12
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Great review and a very nice color combo for the car! Congrats!
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      09-25-2012, 06:53 AM   #13
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Thanks for the positive comments guys.

Having put a few more miles on the M5 I am very pleased. My only issue so far has been getting it off the line quickly - I haven't tried launch control, but it is difficult to set off without spinning the rear wheels. I need more practice!!
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      09-25-2012, 07:10 AM   #14
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I never tried the GTR, but I did try the new 911 Carrera S and the new Maserati Gran Turismo Sport.... and this is exactly why I didn't go for any of them... I am 35 and I don't want to give that middle age crisis image! I also have a family and it is important for me that they can ride along...

It's a good feeling to see that many people have changed 2 doors super cars for this nice Executive Monster!

BTW Dumbo, don't use the Launch Control if you want that gearbox to last, I was at BMW's Driving Center testing one, and to use the Launch Control is forbidden as it will kill the gearbox ... the comment from the pro driver was... "every time you use it is like putting 15K kms in the gearbox."

I will be picking up mine soon at the Welt.
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      09-25-2012, 08:59 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PappSchlumpf View Post
BTW Dumbo, don't use the Launch Control if you want that gearbox to last, I was at BMW's Driving Center testing one, and to use the Launch Control is forbidden as it will kill the gearbox ... the comment from the pro driver was... "every time you use it is like putting 15K kms in the gearbox."

I will be picking up mine soon at the Welt.

Thanks - precisely why I don't use launch control. I never used it on my E60 or the GTR.

What colour are you getting pappaschulmpf?
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      09-25-2012, 09:04 AM   #16
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#CONGRATS!!!
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      09-25-2012, 12:30 PM   #17
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Great looking car, and great story! I thought I was alone in making the comparison between GTR and M5, but in my eyes the F10 M5 is in many ways a very direct competitor to the GTR, and in many ways superior to boot.

Congratulations on the M5!
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      09-25-2012, 08:52 PM   #18
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What year was your GTR?

The 09-11 GTR's acceleration #'s are very similar to an F10 M5
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      09-25-2012, 09:17 PM   #19
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Great review and a very nice color combo for the car!
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      09-26-2012, 12:43 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinB View Post
What year was your GTR?

The 09-11 GTR's acceleration #'s are very similar to an F10 M5

My GTR was a MY2012 (US) which shows quicker acceleration numbers than the F10 M5, at least at sensible speeds.
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      09-26-2012, 08:46 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dumbo View Post
Thanks - precisely why I don't use launch control. I never used it on my E60 or the GTR.

What colour are you getting pappaschulmpf?
I am getting the MonteCarlo Blue with Silverstone Interior, I felt in love at first sight ..
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      09-26-2012, 10:01 PM   #22
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Those people that say the M5 needs to have a V10 and be more like a race car don't know what they are talking about.
This is the whole reason why the M5 is so great. It's the Perfect combination of comfort and speed. It's a car that you can take to the track than take your kids on a trip the next day. It is the perfect car.
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