24th Oct 2001, 03:02
Absolutely, my mouth dropped when I read the word "brisk", that is incredible. What the hell are you used to? They are indescribably quick and the feedback through the wheel is FAULTLESS.
7th Dec 2001, 09:25
The M5 is not the fastest four-door sedan ever built. Gimme a break! The one I had two years ago ate through two clutches in 12 months and the shoulder of the nearside front tyre every 2,000 miles - these are troubles that plague the car and cost owners time and money. M5 owners do seem to class themselves as motoring aficionados: they froth at the mouth when asked to discuss their favourite toy, and like Porsche and Ferrari owners have become blind to its faults. The proverbial bottom line is that it's just another above-average German saloon. There are faster cars, quieter cars, better handling cars, more roomy cars, and so on and so forth. So I don't see any reason to award full marks in every category because it simply doesn't deserve that. I think a little widening of horizons is called for...
9th Dec 2001, 07:38
Quite simply, I think that the BMW M5 is quite possibly the best sports sedan in the world. Absolute handling neutrality & ride discipline, flawless ergonomics, top notch build quality, scintillating straight line performance... need I say more?
The only downsides are the Dynamic Stability Control, which is massively knee jerk reactive when slam shifting & cuts full power so you cannot engage the clutch smoothly, not to mention the persistent understeering bias that the system gives, & an intermittent stalling problem-the engine stalls when approaching a complete stop, or when about to move off the line when the throttle is pressed, the engine does not respond at all-I think this is a fault with the drive by wire throttle system. The Getrag 6 speed box is rifle bolt smooth, though, with a well weighted clutch with good, progressive take-up.
Revise the traction control system, & the drive by wire throttle linkage, & voila! The definitively perfect automobile to truly carry the slogan, 'The Ultimate Driving Machine.'
22nd May 2009, 15:27
Well considering the HSV is Australian, you ain't going to see many. A Monaro VXR sounds a bit better.
14th Oct 2001, 12:23
Last time I checked this review was on a 2000 M5. Seeing as it is built on an entirely different chassis than the E30 M3, and has a completely different engine (which is a brand new design), a better transmission, a lot more horsepower, and outperforms 98% of 2 seat sports cars ever built, it just might qualify for a 10 in performance.