Summarize

In spite of long defending normal aspiration and rear wheel drive, a changing world has forced BMW M to abandon those erstwhile pillars of its existence in an effort to firstly entertain draconian modern day emissions standards. Then it had to deal with traction lost to insane levels of turbo V8 torque from the very basement of the rev range.

Now BMW M says that all-wheel drive makes the new M5 faster, sharper and safer – especially on low-grip surfaces, that it allows you to carry more momentum out of corners, and that you can still get your rear-wheel-drive kicks on demand…

I’ll forgive you for looking twice at M5 to notice it’s new. Never mind that it’s powered by the same old 4.4-litre V8 lump as the last one. But there’s more than just all-wheel drive that’s different.

The V8 gets two new turbos, upped fuel-injection pressure and improved manifolds, while the old seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box makes place for this conventional slush-box eight-speed auto. M5 also gets a wider front track, carbonfibre roof and vitally, its mass drops a fraction in spite of that all-wheel-drive hardware.

Out on the road, you feel the BMW’s lighter weight – it’s still cat-agile thanks to fully variable xDrive’s ability to control M5’s front to rear torque split, aided and abetted by an M differential, which shares its portion of drive out across the rear axle to arrive at a rear-biased balance. 

Fingering DSC brings the bareback choice of 4WD, 4WD Sport and wild old school 2WD to engage rear drive full-time and you also get stepped Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus steering, suspension and drivetrain settings. But M5 is at its finest with the nannies extinguished in 4WD Sport, which causes it to blast out of quick corners at mesmerising speeds thanks to  apparently outer worldly traction and grip. 

Go a step further to 2WD to burn the hell out of those rear tyres, but quite honestly how many people will really buy a R1.8-million car to drive it like a hooligan? I think I know them both. 

And why so many driving choices and options? Give me two – Drive and Race – I couldn’t be bothered with the rest, even if M5 has two main M1 and M2 settings for your faves.  

They say this new eight-speed auto matches the previous seven-speed dual-clutch box – it may be a ballhair quicker, but it loses a little feel. Still, M5 rockets to 100km/h in 3.28 seconds – a second quicker than the old one in our second-quickest ever 0-100 dash behind a McLaren. How long have I told you that all-wheel drive is essential in this neck of the woods?

Still, M5 still steers and behaves like it’s rear-driven – its most tuneable chassis allows you to dial in the ideal set-up and while many expected that adding a second powered axle would perhaps blunt the tool, M has delivered a car that actually defies the apparent weight and dynamic compromised such an exercise usually brings.

M5 also communicates wonderfully with the driver to deliver sheer driving pleasure that escalates proportionately,  the closer you approach this astounding machine’s limit. 

All-wheel drive is now an unavoidable essential in this neck of the woods, but BMW has managed to retain enough of that old-school ‘M-ness’ while adopting an aspect that has made a previously an incredible car into an impeccable one. 

Bravo, BMW M! 

ROAD TEST: BMW M5 xDrive

ENGINE:  4395cc biturbo V8 petrol

POWER: 441kW @ 5600-6700rpm

TORQUE: 750Nm @ 1800-4600rpm

MASS: 1855kg

SPECIFIC POWER: 95kW/litre

POWER TO WEIGHT: 238kW/tonne

TRASMISSION:  8-speed automatic 4x4

TESTED:

0-100km/h 3.28 sec

0-160km/h 6.98 sec

0-200km/h 11.51 sec

400m 11.2sec @ 203km/h

80-120km/h 1.96 sec

120-160km/h 2.80 sec

CLAIMED

VMax 250km/h

Fuel: 10.5/100km

CO2: 241g/km

Tank: 68 litres

Range: 640km

ON THE ROAD

Warranty:              2-year unlimited 

Service plan:          5-year 100 000km

LIST PRICE: R1 762 800

RATED: 96