BMW E60 M5 Review: Bow Down To V10 Power

Under the hood

The BMW M5 has found favour on UK roads since 1985. And during its 28-year tenure M5 engines have grown and been blown; such is today's downsized and turbocharged nature. This E60 M5, however, marks the point at which the mighty M was at its most monstrous.

For this M5 features the first and likely last V10 engine in its lifetime. And with 5.0-litres-worth of V10 vitriol, you’re in for quite the maths lesson; 500bhp, 0-62mph in 4.7sec and a top speed limited to 155mph. Take this limiter off, however, and you’ll see well in excess of 180mph (i.e. 205mph).

Behind the wheel

Bold numbers like these are great on paper, but downright inspiring when put into practice. Take a brave pill (better yet, take three), hit the M5’s Power button (to unleash the V10’s full 500bhp from 400bhp on start-up) and the speed at which objects are drawn to the Big 5’s front-end will astonish and scare in equal measure when you push down hard with your right foot.

The linearity at which that massive power is transferred to the rears has something to do with this awesome sensation. The E60 M5’s acceleration is so smooth that closing your eyes during a full throttle burst would have you believe you were approaching take-off speed in a small jet. And just like a small jet, there’s a sweet soundtrack to accompany all that hard work, courtesy of the M5’s massive quad, stainless-steel exhaust system.

For a car of this size (albeit no lardier than its E39 predecessor), the E60’s agility is a winner, too. Thanks to its quick Servotronic steering and beautiful balance, the M5’s a mean B-road weapon, easy to thread through tight corners and happy to play nicely when the keep-you-out-of-trouble electronics are told to ‘have a Kit Kat’. Ride comfort – which includes three-stage electronic damper settings – is sublime and brakes strong enough to cope with a good spanking.

Gearbox? Yes, the M5 has one. But it’s a little bit rubbish, especially by today’s silky-smooth standards. Select any of the seven-speed SMG’s million and one programmable modes in the M5’s auto setting and the mighty M lunges and hesitates during cog changes. Unless you opt for the super-saloon’s manual mode or hammer through the gears automatically at full pelt, you’ll be frustrated. Not that you’d want to hammer this thing anywhere, however. This M5’s official 19.1mpg fuel thirst (we got closer to 14mpg) will see you clawing at Shell’s forecourt for a loyalty card, if such a thing existed. By comparison, today’s V8 blown 4.4 is 30 per cent more efficient, despite also being 10 per cent more powerful with 30 per cent more torque on tap.

Inside the M5’s interior you’ll find a heady mix of buttons, comfortable leather, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and more buttons. It’s all very grown up in here and lacks the flair and wow-factor you’d expect to find in a car of such unhinged brutality. The same can be said of the outside. Apart from the beautiful exhaust system and M5 badges, there’s nothing on the M5 that screams bloody murder. And that’s a shame, because this is a car that would have dominated its E63 AMG play mate on any Autobahn without a second thought.

Splash the cash?

Back between 2005 and 2010, you’d have splashed £66k on the E60 M5. Look in the small ads today, however, and £15k bags you an early 2006 model. For that money, you’ll be rolling in one of Bavaria’s most accomplished super-saloons to date, which will still embarrass 99 per cent of anything you’re likely to come across on a 50-mile drive in any direction. And the fact that this is the only M5 to feature a V10 motor will mean you’ll also have something to add to your C.V.

Then again, you could buy yourself a three-pot Fiesta for the same figure.