BMW M5 2012 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $230,000
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-star?
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 232
Also consider: Jaguar XFR (from $210,900); Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG (from $240,985)

Cuban gangster Tony Montana famously said: "...first you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women." I'm not sure about the last part of that creed, but the BMW M5 certainly fits the first two parts of Montana's ethos.

Front up with $230,000 -- possibly a bit more for fabric protection and dealer delivery -- and you'll drive away with 412 kilowatts of power thanks to a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8. That's a vast amount of power… Too much power?

At times, yes. The official 0-100km/h time is 4.3 seconds; a measure of time that is even more astounding when you consider the car’s lardy 1870kg kerb weight. And the car feels fast; faster than most cars I've had the liberty to drive.

The 412kW (roughly 560 horsepower for the Imperialists out there) makes its way from the engine, via a seven-speed twin clutch gearbox and along the driveshaft to the rear wheels. Where, if treated with a lack of respect, engine power can explode in a furious mix of tyre smoke and whiffy clutch.

Indeed, give the car even half a bootfull at any given moment and it will heave forward with such ferocity that all occupants will be firmly squeezed into their executive leather cushions -- and that's usually after the stability and traction control have nerfed the power output to avoid wheelspin.

Mellow the electric traction controls to the medium setting and you'll want to be prudent with your throttle inputs for optimum acceleration, because not even super chubby 295/30 20-inch rear tyres can contain the M5's prodigious power output.

Clearly, the new BMW M5 is very powerful. It’s torquey too, with 680Nm on tap from just 1500rpm, which is more twist than you'll ever need for A to B duties. From memory, this is the first car I've ever had the need to use the speed limiting function, and that’s not a good thing in my book. Part of the problem here is an oversensitive throttle. Depress the accelerator pedal for a third of a second too long and you'll be going fast enough to attract the attention of highway patrol.

But after coming to an understanding of sorts with my right foot, it turns out the M5 was not a complete basket case during everyday driving. Yes the throttle is too sensitive which can result in false starts and the erratic slow speed acceleration but the dual clutch seven-speed transmission saves a bit of grace – it is a savvy unit and changes gears smoothly on the milder settings.

Spending a working week commuting in the ballistic Bavarian, it turned out to be a relatively pleasant experience save for the delicate throttle. When the tri-mode suspension was switched to comfort mode ride quality was acceptable and the cruise control buttons have been moved from a tertiary stalk to the left steering wheel spoke, which makes it easier to use. That said, there are a lot of buttons on the steering wheel (12 in all) and it was a little confronting at first. "Do I push them all at once, or just the pretty ones?"

The engine stop-start system was an interesting feature for such a high performance car, and it worked well for the most part. However I did struggle to turn the car off on several occasions once parked (my wife would argue it's because I'm a Neanderthal). When one comes to a standstill the engine would automatically switch off but upon hitting the ignition button the car would then restart the engine – and not shut the car down as anticipated... The engine stopped then started five times one morning when I just wanted to grab a coffee before work. Luckily the stop-start system can be toggled off.

Stressful tasks such as parallel parking were made easier thanks to the 'Top View' camera system, as it provided almost 360-degree camera relayed images of what's around the car. It combined with proximity sensors to good effect, though I found it less useful in reverse parking situations. The rear camera seemed to be overly pessimistic, bleeping and beeping when in reality there was plenty of room to move.

Other tech features such as the side view cameras mounted low in the front apron were handy when crawling out of highly trafficked business parks and the satellite navigation system was intuitive. That the navigation directions were displayed on the windscreen HUD (heads up display) was also a nice touch.

In terms of everyday comfort, the BMW M5 did a good job. The Merino leather front seats were easily adjustable and rear passenger space was not bad, with form fitting seats and lots of headroom aft. Five sunblinds means privacy and sun protection is taken care of, but overall the M5’s interior was not quite as accommodating or sumptuous as the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG.

It was a little disappointing the car failed to make a powerful visual impact. The exterior was attractive - giant 400mm brake rotors, large 20-inch wheels, an aggressive back end with telltale 'M' quad exhausts - but the front end was too understated in my view. Where's the bonnet bulge and vents of the M3?

The interior lacked eye candy too. For the range-topping M car, one expects a dollop or two of carbon fibre, smatterings of aluminium and perhaps a touch of titanium. Instead the driver was left staring at an interior that looked almost no different from a 550i. The gearstick was a bit fancy, what with its M badging and stubby form, and the aluminium steering wheel paddle shifters were a nice touch, plus there was blue/red stitching on the steering wheel, but that's about it.

If you want the red leather interior or something that corresponds with the outrageous power the M5 generates, you'll have to look into the BMW Individual catalogue.

Driven in anger the BMW M5 really comes to life, but only after changing the steering, suspension and engine settings to Sport+ (as opposed to sport or comfort). This removed the sense of disconnection with the road that persisted particularly when the steering was set to comfort mode, and delivered a more involving experience when navigating bends at high speed.

The engine emitted a soulful thrum under full load; one that rises in volume as the V8 nears its 7000rpm limit. Quick throttle-off actions provoked a various array of grin-inducing crackles and growls too. It may look understated but it was an angry-sounding car, make no mistake.

It was also very quick through the corners and didn’t feel nearly as heavy as it should’ve for an almost 1.9 tonne vehicle. The sport plus steering was very heavy (almost too heavy) but suited hard and fast driving, enhancing minor adjustments to direction and improving feedback somewhat.

The car tipped into corners keenly and tracked surely, even through those deceptive corners that tighten in radius. It was composed and fluid on smooth surfaces but on bumpier roads it lost some of its poise and needed more guidance and through rutted corners. The stiffer suspension settings also played havoc with power delivery when the road surface was less than perfect, as the M5's colossal power output struggled to transmit its vast energy yield onto the road, tending to wheel spin and/or instigate stability control.

There's no denying the BMW M5's devastating speed and satisfying ability to punch out of corners with the tail wagging and its voice bellowing, but its weight and dislike of poor quality roads play against it. It may be a delight on the racetrack, but in the real world it can be hard work.

As fast as the M5 was, it didn’t ignite the senses like its stablemates, the BMW M3 or the BMW 1 M Coupe. Where the latter models seemed to shrink around the driver when push comes to shove, the M5 always felt heavy and wide, and at times overzealous.

The twin turbo BMW M5 is special car in many ways, and one that effortlessly converts from daily driver to coastal road warrior. The German rocket ship generates more power than its rivals, the Jaguar XFR and Mercedes E 63 AMG, and is one of the most powerful large sedans money can buy.

A velvet bazooka of sorts, the BMW M5 is not without its flaws -- its touchy throttle one of the biggest issues when trying to drive at nominal speeds. But, all things considered, it's the sort of car that is so compelling to drive it’s easy to forgive its foibles.

And if what Tony Montana says is true, that money is power, at about $558 per kilowatt the BMW M5 is not a cheap way to buy brute force. But it is one of the most exclusive super saloons in the land and for pure bragging rights, there are few cars that can touch it.