Unleashing the beast in our long-term M5

Published Jan 29, 2016

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Long-term update: BMW M5 Competion Package

By: Denis Droppa

Johannesburg - As an option that might appeal to people who’d like to take part in track days, BMW South Africa offers an M Driver’s Package to owners of the BMW M3/M4 and M5/M6, as well as the M6 Gran Coupé.

This raises the usual 250km/h governed top speed to 280km/h in the M3/M4 and 305km/h in the M5/M6, and can either be ordered with a new car or retrofitted. Owners of the previous generation BMW M3 (E92/93) and previous BMW X5/X6 M are also able to upgrade.

This speed-boosting option is priced at R39 035 (or R21 930 if the car already has the Competition Package) and we recently had it retrofitted to our long-term M5 Competition Package test car which we’ve been evaluating over the last few months.

We took the M5 to the Gerotek test circuit to see if we could indeed squeeze 305km/h out of this uber-performance sedan with its speed nanny removed. As the M Driver’s Package simply raises the speed restrictor and offers no extra power, which remains at 423kW/680Nm, we didn’t need to retest the super-quick 4.3 second 0-100km/h sprint time we achieved at Gerotek last year.

So how did it fare? Well, when driving the M5 on normal roads it’s always behaved like a highly-strung guard dog straining at the leash; an edgy ‘c’mon what are we waiting for’ nature with a hyper-sensitive throttle and tendency to chirp its rear wheels at the slightest provocation. Now, on that long and clear test strip it finally got to stretch its legs and show us what it’s got.

It didn’t disappoint.

PURE SAVAGERY

The M5 hurled itself at the horizon like a teenage groupie at Justin Bieber. It’s a heavy car but that turbocharged V8 is a thing of pure snarl and savagery, and barely seemed to notice the M5’s weight. Reaching that newly-released top speed turned out to be quite straightforward and the speedo needle hardly lost any urgency as it swept across its arc past the magical 300 mark.

In the end it attained the promised 305km/h (the true speed as verified by our Vbox) and felt like it would’ve easily gone even faster without the electronic restrictor. The car’s high-speed stability is impressive too, and it tracks arrow-straight as the scenery turns into an onrushing blur, with stable steering that doesn’t get disturbingly twitchy as the pace rises.

That a large luxury sedan can play at these velocities – formerly the preserve of supercars with horses or bulls in their badges – is a formidable thing. The M5’s a real hooligan in a business suit.

The M5 has mild-to-wild settings at the press of a button. Correction, it never feels mild, but the stiffness of the electronically-controlled suspension, and the responses of the steering and throttle can at least be dialled-down to a mode that doesn’t feel like the car’s hyped up on Red Bull.

PLAY MODE

The stability-control intervention can be minimised, putting the car into a playful mode which allows some tail-twitchiness before a computer bails you out of trouble. It’s not a good idea to unleash 423kW without any electronic traction assistance, but If you’re feeling really brave and have the budget for new rear tyres, the stability control can be disabled altogether which unleashes the M5’s full rubber-shredding, sideways-action fury.

There are also two programmable buttons on the steering – labelled M1 and M2 – where you can select your favoured mode with just one click. In the most sporting M Dynamic setting, the angrier attitude of the car is augmented by the head-up display which projects just the essentials into the driver’s line of sight: a large bar-style rev counter, the selected gear, and current speed.

The standard price of the M5 is R1 480 991 but the Competition Package on the M5 test car is a R133 900 option offered by BMW SA that, apart from the abovementioned power boost, also includes special lightweight 20” alloys, a free-flow exhaust, lowered and firmed-up suspension, and even more direct steering.

It brings the total price to R1 614 891, which includes a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty, a five-year/100 000km Motorplan, and perhaps most importantly an advanced driving course.

FACTS

BMW M5 Competion Package

Engine: 4.4-litre, biturbo V8 petrol

Gearbox: Seven-speed M dual-clutch

Power: 423kW @ 6000-7000rpm

Torque: 680Nm @ 1500-5750rpm

0-100km/h (Tested, Gauteng): 4.3 seconds

Top speed (claimed): 250km/h

Consumption (claimed): 9.9 litres per 100km

Price (as tested): R1 614 891

Maintenance Plan: Five-year/100 000km

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