[ONEOF40 FS M3]

I finally picked up my new F10 M5 last week and I must say the ED was a very pleasant experience. BMW does a very good job with the whole experience. I only stayed in Munich and surroundings for two days, only drove the car about 280kms in snowy wintery conditions and still it was a blast to drive it for different reasons (FEI – I am from Europe and already have driven all over it before at different times).

Here are my initial impressions about it. FEI - This is my third M5, previously owned a 2002 e39 M5 and a 2006 e60 M5.

- Engine – unless you push it around, it is a very docile engine; once you start revving in it up, it comes alive, it likes to be rev just like all M cars. I only took it a little bit over 5K rpm. Can’t wait to push it all the way to 7.2K rpm. Sound is much different than the S85V10 and more like the S62V8, but I love the throaty sound (especially in underground parking garages), it is as addicting as my current S65 V8 or any of my previous M5s. The downshifting blipping on the manual transmission on Sport Plus will take a little more time to get use it when used to heel/toe yourself, but I like the feature.
- Drivability - very easy car to drive at all times, traffic, around towns,….light clutch especially compared with the heavy e39 M5 clutch. On the highway even on snowy wintery conditions at 130mph, the car is so well planted. This is a big heavy car and it feels like a “fast tank”. Brakes are satisfactory.
- Comfort – this is by far the most luxurious M5 to date, and a very very comfortable ride…it is “luxury jetliner”. IMHO the subtle, refined and “geared towards the driver” interiors are the best in the market. Personally, I don’t like the over the top and flashy interiors of other brands. The idrive is much faster. The Nav screen larger and better. The HUD is awesome, it is not only very nitid but a great driving aid.
- 6MT – I would not have it any other way even if the car is a few tenths slower. It elevates the driving experience. I personally like the feel and control of the car. It probably comes from my fixation with the e39 M5 and that I have been driving manuals since my early teens; but now the fixation is with the F10 M5, what a pleasure to drive. It shifts smoothly and I really like the rubbery feel of the shifter.

Overall my first impression, there is nothing I do not like about this car. It is sublime. Now I am just waiting until sometime in March for “the best fast saloon-JC Top Gear” to arrive in South Florida.

Here are some pics of my new “friendly polar bear-RH Top Gear”.