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| DRIVING RATING: |
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Like previous M5s, the current model combines its performance with refined driving manners. The engine starts in 'low power' mode, which has 400bhp and a softer power delivery, which BMW says is an advantage in low-grip conditions. (Though if 500bhp is too much for the conditions, we'd have thought that 400 would be, too.) In either mode, throttle response is very linear, and it's easy to drive at town speeds. The SMG gearbox isn't as smooth as a decent manual and good driver combination, but like most owners, we appreciate not having to press a clutch pedal, which would have to be heavy to deal with the immense forces on tap.
Braking is progressive and, on the softest of the damper settings, the ride is acceptable, too, despite the car riding on 19-inch alloys with low-profile tyres. If you up the speeds on the more comfortable settings, the gearbox speed quickly feels out of its depths and the body becomes notably less controlled. These defects can be rectified by adjusting the dampers and gearbox modes via dashboard buttons which makes the M5 feel far more sporty, and allows it to more easily exploit its tremendous pace. Gearshift times can be reduced, the 'power' button unleashes the full 500bhp and on the firmest dampers, the M5 tackles fast country roads or motorway sweeps with aplomb. It's less convincing in really tight corners where mass and size start to get the better of its agility, but it far from disgraces itself even in those conditions.
The servotronic steering doesn't have Active mode like some other 5-Series, and is all the better for it. Though light at town speeds, it firms up noticeably when pressing on and proves a responsive and accurate guide for fast work. The SMG gearboxes paddles rotate on the back of the steering wheel which is fine in faster corners, but prove mildly problematic if you've got loads of lock in a tight corner. In its sportiest mode, S6, the gearshift is absolutely brutal, like sitting alongside a racing driver and, in all honesty, it's a bit out of character with the rest of the car. It's entertaining though, and the 'launch control' system (fitted, presumably, just because it could be) could be a hoot at traffic lights. Braking is by ventilated disc all-round, of mammoth 374mm front diameter and 370mm at the rear. We found no problems hauling the M down from big speeds, but they may fade after a few laps on a track. That said, the M5's bulk doesn't really lend itself to track work.
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