The BMW M5 Competition is one of the few remaining performance sedans in the new-vehicle market. With its existence threatened by rapid battery-electric cars (let alone tar-shredding SUVs), we wonder if this is the last ICE-powered M5 that we’ll ever see.
We like: Stupendous performance, excellent balance of pace and luxury, ease of use.
We don’t like: Ravenous appetite for unleaded, optional exhaust may be too loud for some, complex vehicle settings interface
Fast Facts
- Model tested: BMW M5 Competition
- Price: R2 328 224
- Engine: 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol
- Power/Torque: 460 kW/750 Nm
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Fuel economy: 10.6 L/100 km
- 0-100kph: 3.3 seconds (claimed)
- Luggage capacity: 545 litres
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What is it?
M5. The iconic letter and number combination began the era of the sports sedan in 1984.
The M5 is one of BMW’s most iconic nameplates. Now in its 6th generation, the BMW M5 continues to follow the recipe of shoehorning a large-capacity petrol engine into an executive sedan to create a car that’s both formidable and relatively family-friendly. Recently, the BMW M5 Competition underwent an LCI (Life Cycle Impulse), which is essentially an update to a product in the middle of its product cycle.
Changes to the BMW M5 Competition LCI ranged from some mild exterior updates to the more serious under-the-skin mechanical upgrades, such as the damper control system that BMW claims “will enhance ride comfort during high-speed highway driving as well as over bumps” and updated shock absorbers, which lifted from the BMW M8 Gran Coupé. There are also revisions to the BMW M Servotronic power steering setup. Inside, the updated BMW M5 gets a larger 12.3-inch-screen infotainment system that now features Android Auto and cloud-based navigation.
While there’s still strong demand for the BMW M5 (and its immediate rivals, such as the Mercedes-AMG E63 S and Audi RS6 quattro), this segment’s growth aspirations have been curtailed somewhat by the popularity of high-performance premium SUVs produced by American, British, German and Italian premium brands. But, as stellar and in-demand as the BMW X5 M Competition is, its name doesn’t quite have as much pedigree as an M5, does it?
As far as rivals go, the performance sedan segment is on the decline with just a handful of models on offer. If the BMW M5 Competition isn’t your cup of tea, Mercedes-AMG offers up the E63 S that boasts a thundering biturbo V8 engine and plenty of luxurious touches. Audi doesn’t make a sedan version of the RS6 anymore, so you’ll have to settle for a station wagon or the 4-door coupé that is the RS7. For something just as ballistic, but quite different, look to the Porsche Panamera Turbo S. At this price point, a BMW M850i Gran Coupe offers most of the M5 Competition’s performance, for a bit less money and is prettier to look at, but it is not an out-and-out M car.
How the BMW M5 Competition fares in terms of…
Design & Packaging
Red, with yellow brake callipers and a gloss-black grille… Have you ever seen a BMW sedan that looks this menacing?
Executive sedans tend to be conservatively styled, even the performance-oriented versions, but in this case, the paint job did all the talking. Finished in metallic Aventurine red, our BMW M5 Competition proved particularly eye-catching. This hue paired well with the 20-inch alloy wheels, carbon fibre-tipped exhausts, and dazzling daytime running lights.
As far as packaging goes, one of the first things you’ll realise about the BMW M5 Competition is its size. This is no small car and it tips the scales at just under 2 tonnes. An overall length of 5 metres will make you hesitate about those cramped parallel parking spots in town, but thanks to its excellent array of parking cameras and sensors, threading the M5 into those spots shouldn’t send your blood pressure soaring.
That lengthy shell translates into excellent rear legroom and despite its performance add-ons, this is still a BMW 5 Series at heart. That means it still possesses generous space for 4 adults, plus their luggage, although the 545-litre boot is on the smaller side of offerings in the segment.
Performance & Efficiency
The M5 Competition’s carbon-fibre engine cover is a work of art.
Onto the most important aspect of the BMW M5 Competition. With 460 kW and 750 Nm coming from a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine and a claimed 0-100 kph sprint time of just 3.3 seconds, the on-paper prospects are mouth-watering.
What we weren’t prepared for was the optional BMW M Performance exhaust, replete with carbon-fibre tips. They’re a far cry from the standard unit’s tailpipes, both in terms of appearance and noise output. A cold start will wake the neighbours, even if you fire up the M5 in its most docile setting; rev the engine at a standstill and the subsequent thunder cracks will probably get you some death stares from otherwise peace-loving folks. It’s gloriously rude and well worth ticking the additional R88 000 box on the options list.
Our first impression when driving to our straight-line testing location with every setting dialled back was just how comfortable the M5 was. Road noise from the big Pirelli tyres wasn’t intrusive – a trait that seems to affect most modern AMG offerings – and if there weren’t so many sporty touches in the cabin, you could be fooled into thinking you’re driving a standard BMW 5 Series. The illusion does not last long, however…
With the launch control loaded (a lengthy process, we might add) and the car primed, it was time to unleash the most powerful M car on our market. Words can’t quite explain the sheer drama that ensues, but twitter videos can… Hear the mechanical cacophony that ensues when the author starts up the M5 Competition (from cold).
As you can see and hear, it’s not exactly subtle and that’s just how we think a BMW M5 Competition should be. There are various customisation options to adjust engine response, adaptive suspension setup and steering feel, plus you’re afforded 3 transmission settings. Do you prefer the ‘shifts to be seamlessly smooth, or do you want to feel jolts when the ‘box slams in successive cogs while the Bimmer charges towards the horizon? It’s up to you.
The M5 Competition offers a wide range of customisation in conjunction with the drive modes.
The best part is you can mine the drivetrain menu to customise the settings to your heart’s content and then program those shortcuts into the M1 and M2 buttons located on the steering wheel. Typically, M1 would place the engine and chassis into Sport, and M2 sets everything to their Sport and Sport Plus presets, with the stability control set to Sport too. It sounds complex, but it’s worth playing around for your perfect balance. Us? We’re all about that comfort life, with the engine set to Sport.
There are even track-specific modes, as well as the option to switch the M xDrive from 4-wheels to rear-wheel drive, but given we didn’t have access to an appropriate test facility at the time, we didn’t go near those settings.
The car’s happiest in full auto mode, but we did enjoy the tactile feel of the paddles located behind the steering wheel. The raucous artillery battery of an exhaust system also emits a pleasant noise each time you shift down.
The key takeaway here is performance accessibility. Never has it been easier to access liberty-endangering speeds with so little effort; the BMW M5 Competition is just that fast. What’s scarier still is you don’t need to be in the sportiest settings either. A simple overtaking manoeuvre on a motorway with half-throttle application can easily see you touching triple-figure speeds starting with 2… so you do have to be mindful when extending your “throttle foot”.
The M5 Competition utilises a torque-converter-type transmission, but we don’t miss its predecessor’s dual-clutch setup.
Ride & Handling
With this much outright performance on offer, you’d think the car would require 100% concentration all of the time, but the reality is the BMW M5 Competition is not going to be a handful unless you blatantly go looking for trouble.
The handling and pace of the M5 Competition are deeply impressive. It’s jaw-dropping how a car of this size and weight can traverse a tight and twisting section of tarmac without breaking a sweat. The key things here are the chassis, suspension setup and xDrive, which all combine to make it a wonderfully balanced offering. The steering wheel rim (like all performance BMWs) may be a touch too thick, but the rack’s light weighting and directness make up for it.
The xDrive deserves a special mention as it highlights just how far the all-wheel-drive system has come as far as driver engagement and engineering are concerned. By switching to xDrive Sport, the car sends a bit more power to the rear axle, so you still get that slight feeling that the rear is capable of breaking traction but, barring some foolish provocation, it’s highly unlikely to do so. By enabling a rear bias, there’s virtually no understeer and the result is a large sports sedan with a turn of agility that belies its almost two-tonne kerb weight.
You can, of course, make the M5 Competition purely rear-wheel driven, but past experience with the pre-facelift model a few years ago resulted in burnouts as the rear axle couldn’t cope with the sheer amount of power on tap. The marketing material calls it “drift mode”, we call it destroying a set of perfectly good tyres.
The M5 Competition we tested was additionally specified with a carbon-ceramic braking system.
The brakes are worth a mention, too. Our test unit came with the optional carbon ceramics which provided immense stopping power, bringing the M5 Competition to a halt far quicker than you’d expect.
Once you’re done carving up your favourite stretch of corners, you simply put everything back into Comfort and the M5 transforms into a quiet and refined German executive sedan.
Comfort features
These great-looking front sports seats offered massage, heating and cooling functions.
Everything thus far has been about how fast and loud the BMW M5 Competition is, which is all great, but ultimately, what makes this car (and the aforementioned E63 S and the RS6) so complete is its levels of comfort and luxury.
Step inside the cabin and you’ll be greeted by an overtly sporty theme about the place. The big red start engine button will catch your eye, as will the two M buttons on the steering wheel. The seats are an absolute joy as they’re not only some of the most comfortable and supportive in the business, but also happen to look like works of art by themselves. The glowing M logo in the headrest is a great touch.
The interior incorporates a number of updates introduced as part of the recent 5 Series facelift.
New for this model is a much larger infotainment screen, the introduction of Android Auto as well as over-the-air updates. In fact, during its tenure with us, the car received one such update and after a 30-minute installation process, the car boasted updates to the lane departure system, maps, front radar sensor and some Android Auto connectivity upgrades.
One of the highlights of the M5 Competition is its digital dashboard and the head-up display. It really looks the part, particularly when you’re in the sportiest of settings. Every bit of useful information is readily at hand. The cabin feels upmarket and expertly assembled and despite the age of our test unit, showed no sign of creaks or rattles.
At this price point and given that it is the flagship derivative in the 5 Series range, the M5 Competition comes with a full house of features. You can dip into the options list naturally and our test unit came with the potent Bowers & Wilkins audio system, the rorty M Performance exhaust, carbon-ceramic brakes and M-branded seat belts.
From the driver’s seat, the M5 Competition feels every bit the tech-laden performance sedan that it is.
How much does the BMW M5 Competition cost in South Africa?
The BMW M5 Competition is available for R2 328 224 and is sold with a 2-year unlimited warranty and a 5-year / 100 000 km service plan.
Verdict
Does the M5 Competition represent the high-water mark for the ICE-powered performance sedan? Yes, probably.
While we’re probably looking at the beginning of the end of the “super sports sedan” era, there’s no denying that right now we’re spoilt for choice. The German trio of the BMW M5, Mercedes-AMG E63 S and Audi RS6/RS7 all offer twin-turbocharged V8 engines, are ludicrously quick yet have tech, space and comfort in abundance. All three are at the top of their game and all three are exceptional products.
With the F90-generation BMW M5 Competition, the Munich-based brand has addressed the issues of the earlier model, like its harsh ride and lack of character as far as the engine sound was concerned.
Should you buy one? If you have R2 million and are still chasing that exotic supercar dream, but are put off by the sacrifices like impractical packaging and awkward ingress/egress, then you should consider the BMW M5 Competition. Unlike most thoroughbred performance offerings, this is not a compromised one-trick pony.
The Bavarian offering will not only thrill with its devastating performance ability and enthral with its sheer sense of theatre, but it can effortlessly transport your family for a holiday across the country. Being able to perfectly balance supercar levels of performance with real-world daily-driven usability is why this car deserves a second look.
