Staking its claim

So here it is – the all-new BMW M5. Following in the footsteps of some of the bestregarded supersaloons ever made, this latest four-door powerhouse has got a tougher job than ever to remain top of the pile thanks to some hugely capable rivals. It’s also the first M5 to feature all-wheeldrive, as well as a host of other features designed to make it sharper and more capable than ever before.

A lot. The new BMW M5 makes use of a 4.4-litre V8 turbocharged engine as well as that allimportant all-wheel-drive system – one of the biggest changes to the M5’s layout. That said, this new car can still be locked off to rear-wheel-drive only – so purists need not be too aghast. Not only this, but this sixth-generation car is lighter than ever before too, making use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic to keep its overall weight down. spiky to drive. This latest one has been designed to offer a little more traction – and it’s well and truly achieved this. Despite packing close to 600bhp, the M5 rarely feels out of control, instead offering a lot of balance and adjustability. The biggest factor in this is that all-wheel-drive system. There’s no doubting the car’s reardrive-bias; when the system is set to allow a certain amount of slip, the M5 will fall into delightful mini-drifts, sliding you through corners without ever feeling like it’s going to spin around and bite you.

The M5 exudes all of the classic styling that we’ve come to expect from big, powerful M-cars. It’s certainly not as wild as the current-generation M3, but it still looks special. At the rear, four exhaust pipes to give some hint of the car’s performance, as do the gills at the side of the car, but all in all it’s still instantly recognisable as a BMW saloon – and that’s no bad thing at all. M-cars aren’t meant to be shouty and brash in terms of exterior styling, as they let their performance do the talking – and that’s just the case here.

The interior of the M5 uses the vast majority of components from the standard, but excellent, 5 Series cabin. That means you still get an infotainment system which is simple and easy to operate, as well great build quality and good materials. The biggest changes come in the form of driving mode selectors. Two red ‘M’ buttons either side of the steering wheel allow you to customise suspension, steering and engine responsiveness to one of three modes. The cabin, as a whole, feels special as well as comfortable – ideal for those who are planning to undertake longer journeys but still want plenty of ‘star’ factor.