Evolution of a legend

Standing in the presence of all six BMW M5 instalments offered an illuminating view into the evolution of the breed. South Africa is uniquely woven into the chronicles of the performance line. You could say the M5 story began here. In 1976 the 530 Motorsport Limited Edition (MLE), based on the E12 designation of the 5-Series, was birthed on local shores. Only 218 units were produced, with the model homologated for competitive pursuits on track. The 530 MLE preceded the M535i of 1979, as well as the M1 of 1978, which is documented in the annals of history as the first bona fide M-badged offering from BMW. But the true genesis of this sporting saloon species — as stated by BMW — came in the form of the E28 M5. The shark-nosed four-door was released in 1985, employing a derivative of the sixcylinder engine that featured in the M1 coupé. The practical family chariot literally had the heart of a supercar. Then came the E34 in 1989. While the version adopted more executive overtures to its constitution, it remained faithful to the Motorsport heritage with a mechanical sextet under the hood that still shared bits with the M1. With the looming millennium, BMW sought to thrust into proceedings with a mightier M5 that trounced its two forebears in the technical statistics department. The E39 featured an eight-cylinder unit. Remember that classic commercial with the jet-propelled vehicle, captioning the M5 as the fastest saloon on the planet? Even more interesting was that the concept came from advertising agency TBWA Hunt Lascaris in Johannesburg. A proudly South African film production company was used too. Not only did this M5 up the ante in terms of pace and potency, it boasted technology befitting the captains of industry who signed on the dotted line. Buyers could specify items that featured in the 7-Series of that era, including a phone, a TV, navigation and an interface that could be considered a precursor to the contemporary BMW iDrive digital setup. Amusingly, the 1999 options list shows a column for preparation systems catering to devices from Nokia, Motorola and Siemens. In 2005 the recipe was rewritten with the Chris Bangle-designed E60 5-Series. Its screaming 10-cylinder power source — and seven-speed automated sequential manual gearbox — nodded to the knowledge gleaned from those BMW Sauber F1 activities. Whatever your impressions, you must concede that for this reason the E60 M5 is destined for future classic status. We are not likely to see such a configuration from the marque again. Next came the 2011 F10 M5, reverting to a V8 mill, albeit with the aid of forced induction. It was the first turbocharged M5 and on

a personal note, my first proper introduction to the series. The abiding memory was of its heft and slipperiness: this was a brutal piece of kit whose steering squirmed and writhed in the hand like a rabid pet seal, its backside only too eager to shimmy. Cold rubber and an equally frigid concrete floor in the office basement made for an interesting initial acquaintance. Although this M5 piped acoustics into the cabin, its aural presence was decidedly average. It lacked the distinction of those notable predecessors under full chat, although it lacked little when it came to power. A Competition Package was released for the F10, offering a bump in engine outputs and additional poise courtesy of suspension revisions. Our market also received an exclusive special Pure Metal Edition version, of which just 20 were made, commemorating 30 years of the moniker. Speaking to some of the more seasoned commentators in the industry, it seems that the F10 is not regarded as the zenith of the M5 collection. Bear in mind, of course, that nostalgia and subjectivity do invariably creep into such verdicts. So, what will the 2018 F90 M5 be remembered for? Well, for starters, this is the first M5 to feature all-wheel drive. Before you spit on the floor and dismiss it as a sell-out, remember that the rival Mercedes-AMG product went the same route. The move was inevitable: no sense in having an abundance of power at your disposal if all it does is overwhelm the rear wheels, although the new M5 does have a rearwheel-only mode that lets the driver loose sans electronic aids. Try that at your own risk. You will either muster the heroics of racing driver Gennaro Bonafede (seen sideways in these pictures), or be dialling in to BMW on Call for its recovery services. Luckily, over our stint at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Gauteng, we suffered no such misfortune. What can be confirmed is that the new M5 embodies everything its intended audience will appreciate. If we regard that traditional M5 character as cosseting, easy to drive daily, practical and seriously rapid, then this iteration delivers amply. All-wheel drive makes the new M5 more forgiving, noted in instances where corners were tackled with a leaden foot. It connects straights to turns with fearsome urgency. Unlike its predecessor, which used a sevenspeed dual-clutch transmission, the new M5 adopts an eight-speed automatic. It has the same displacement and number of cylinders as the former car, but with more power, at 441kW and 750Nm. Good for a sprint time of 3.4 seconds, says the manufacturer. Perhaps the F90 may go down in history as being the last M5 to employ internal combustion entirely. At the launch, the manager for group product communications at BMW South Africa said hybrid technology would be incorporated into the M vehicles. We might just be witnessing peak M5, before the breed succumbs to the perceived benefits of the alternative propulsion era. Pricing for the 2018 BMW M5 starts at R1 747 500.