New M5 - good or bad?

[Harris_I]

derestrictor said:

I mean at what point do you draw the line and accept that technology, correctly applied, can aid rather than hinder the experience: Ferrari's 'adaptive' gearchanges, for example, described in this month's Evo, as distinct from our fixed setting variants in the //Ms...

Ah, but that's the point for me - I am a card carrying Luddite. I spent the first 2 weeks with the car fretting over which of the umpteen combinations of EDC, power and gearchange settings to settle down with, then finally realising that even M Dynamic Mode was leaving me unfulfilled. I spent yesterday's commute home fiddling between Logic7 off, concert hall and theatre settings, and feeling simultaneously annoyed and confused.

I'm a firm believer that computers still don't read the road as well as a human does so it's traction off, P500 sport and for the time being it's gearchange no 4 whilst I'm running in the new diff, but ultimately 5 or 6 depending on my mood.

I remember the M5/M6's electronics being roundly praised when the car was first introduced, and I imagine they are saying the same thing about Ferrari's adaptive gearchanges, but it's just not my thing I'm afraid. I'd like to adapt myself rather than have the car do it for me even when all sane and rational arguments are against me. By way of example, I remember feeling slightly cold and unmoved after driving a 997 turbo. My God, it flew, but I think I would be happier in a 993TT.

Sorry for the rambling tangent, all!