I have to say that this car took my breath away – quite literally and figuratively as well. BMW’s popular Marina Bay Blue metallic color combined with the styling on the M5 gives makes for a feeling of familiarity, yet there’s obviously something about it that you’ve got to experience … not just see.
The M5 has all the comforts expected in a high-end luxury car and some extras. Experiences include super comfortable 20-position heated and ventilated power seats with great lumbar support, four-zone climate control, LED lighting, automatic high beams, Sirius XM (or your Apple music through Apple CarPlay) coming out of Harmon Kardon surround sound system, wifi hotspot, Gesture control, heated steering wheel, and an excellent heads up display that lets you keep your eyes on the road while controlling this beast of a car.
Which brings me to the fun part, the driving! The 4.4 liter BMW M twin-turbo V-8 with high-precision direct injection is a monster of a power plant that delivers all the speed you’ll ever need. Whether from a cold stop or when you’re already at highway speeds, if you give the M5 a little extra on the pedal, you’ll be experiencing the next few seconds pushed against the back of your seat. The 8-speed automatic transmission handles it all very smoothly, but if you want to control your own fun, use the paddle shifters and strap in. The M carbon ceramic brakes with cornering control are exactly what you need to stop quickly under any circumstances.
The active driving assistance with lane departure warning, frontal collision warning and active blind spot detection work unobtrusively for maximum driver safety. As tested, the BMW M5 Competition Sedan has a sticker of $132,095 and my vote is it’s worth every penny.
