RE: Tell me I'm wrong: BMW M5
Discussion
I think this car is actually turning out to be more niche than BMW expected. I have owned my E39 M Funf for many years and 120k of its now 160k miles, but have disregarded the E60 version completely as a replacement. Not that it is not a fantastic car and when the mood takes is unquestionably a far faster vehicle, I have had two extended test drives and hired an E61 for a weekend to be totally sure.
It just doesnt do it for me in the way the E39 does and as such justify the extra £50k investment.
And yet the F10 meets my requirements, limosine when required, Muscle car laziness when the rumbling overtake mood takes, and full on Hooligan on the rare occasion. One might argue an E/C63 may do the same but again something there is missing.
Now if BMW could just sort out there customer service and sales response they may well shift a great deal more.
It just doesnt do it for me in the way the E39 does and as such justify the extra £50k investment.
And yet the F10 meets my requirements, limosine when required, Muscle car laziness when the rumbling overtake mood takes, and full on Hooligan on the rare occasion. One might argue an E/C63 may do the same but again something there is missing.
Now if BMW could just sort out there customer service and sales response they may well shift a great deal more.
E38Ross said:
i guess that's where we differ. i'd much rather a lazy car have an auto around town and in traffic, but a full on manual when pushing on. i think the decent flappy paddle boxes are a very good compromise.
+1. I love a good flappy paddle for that exact reason. I was very impressed with the flappy paddle BMW box. When I finally get round to getting a new car a good flappy paddle box is a requirement. Perhaps we're finally getting to the stage where the big motoring manufacturers might start learning that 'Less is More'. Perhaps the next generation of exec beast or the one after that might still have all the latest gadgets, gizmos, and technologies, but actually become slightly smaller and nimbler, with power that is usable (even if there's an 'unlock' option for the brave/fool hardy).
There's a suitable parable out there (and I don't mean James may test driving a base model Fiat Panda on TG) - the luxury compact digital camera market. For years there was an obsession with megapixels. Each new generation of camera had to have more. The fact the sensor was staying the same size did not matter, it was numbers that counted and numbers that mattered. It took 2-3 years before Canon finally noticed that their once much revered G series camera was getting ever worse reviews with each new iteration. With each generation they would give it some new toys (or take away some failed ones no one seemed to use) and then increase the sensor density. Finally with the G10 they dropped the pixel count from just under 15 meg to just 10. Net result was far sharper pictures, far less noise, especially lower down the ISO range, and suddenly it was to of the tree again. The other camera manufacturers had to follow suit. Net result is the megapixel war is over and ease of use, completeness of experience, and end result are key to design decisions.
The motoring industry could learn imho.
There's a suitable parable out there (and I don't mean James may test driving a base model Fiat Panda on TG) - the luxury compact digital camera market. For years there was an obsession with megapixels. Each new generation of camera had to have more. The fact the sensor was staying the same size did not matter, it was numbers that counted and numbers that mattered. It took 2-3 years before Canon finally noticed that their once much revered G series camera was getting ever worse reviews with each new iteration. With each generation they would give it some new toys (or take away some failed ones no one seemed to use) and then increase the sensor density. Finally with the G10 they dropped the pixel count from just under 15 meg to just 10. Net result was far sharper pictures, far less noise, especially lower down the ISO range, and suddenly it was to of the tree again. The other camera manufacturers had to follow suit. Net result is the megapixel war is over and ease of use, completeness of experience, and end result are key to design decisions.
The motoring industry could learn imho.
Like all of these 'uberwagens', they've grown in size while our British road network hasn't and our traffic numbers have. We haven't built new roads (nor have we properly maintained/upgraded our existing ones) so it's hardly a surprise that British roads are, in reality, still the preserve of older, smaller, lighter, tighter cars from Lotus Elises all the way back to the original Mini Coopers.
M5's, E63's, Audi S8's etc are autobahnstormers, the operative syllables being the first three - 'autobahn'. We're a cash-poor nation (for how long now?) so we don't have those...
M5's, E63's, Audi S8's etc are autobahnstormers, the operative syllables being the first three - 'autobahn'. We're a cash-poor nation (for how long now?) so we don't have those...
simoid said:
AliGod78 said:
I can't remember how to work out power to weight, could someone remind/do the honours?
Ta.
Power/Weight ratio = Power / Weight. Ta.
1 metric ton = 1000 kilograms
1 short ton = 907.18474 kilograms
1 long ton = 1016.04691 kilograms
The numbers quoted in the back of Evo are per long ton.
mig25_foxbat2003 said:
Every review of this car makes me really really really want an E60 M5. And you've just done it again.
b
ds.
Does this help?b
ds.http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3633927.htm
Still under warranty too.
otolith said:
simoid said:
AliGod78 said:
I can't remember how to work out power to weight, could someone remind/do the honours?
Ta.
Power/Weight ratio = Power / Weight. Ta.
1 metric ton = 1000 kilograms
1 short ton = 907.18474 kilograms
1 long ton = 1016.04691 kilograms
The numbers quoted in the back of Evo are per long ton.
kambites said:
Length makes little difference to how a car drives, it's width that matters. Do you have the width figures?
For the width argument the E60 and F10 are both 1860mm, including wing mirrors, the E39 was 1800mm, the E34 was 1751mm and the E28 was 1700mm.For me this M5 is a step backwards in every respect. I'd much rather have the E39 or E60. One for its lighter weight and character, the other for its mental V10 engine.
Edited by Krikkit on Tuesday 21st February 15:18
Edited by Krikkit on Tuesday 21st February 15:18
otolith said:
Even if the noise isn't actually coming from the engine, but is being synthesised and played through the car's speakers?
I dont mind manufacrures tweaking the actual exhaust, but I wouldn't like it generated by speakers in the car. I presume the technology is all ready out there to do that. bakerstreet said:
I dont mind manufacrures tweaking the actual exhaust, but I wouldn't like it generated by speakers in the car. I presume the technology is all ready out there to do that.
There have been third party parts that do it for years, but as far as I know BMW are the first to do it OEM. 
CampDavid said:
When the E34 came out it was huge (I was about 6 and called it "big BMW") but a few year passed and it looked perfect
When the E39 came out it was too big but a few year passed and it looked perfect
When the E60 came out it was too big and really ugly but a few year passed and now it looks perfect
The F10 will start to look good in a few years time, which is handy because you'd need to be mental to shove £85k into one knowing it'll be worth around £30k in three years time.
BMWs are kind of like the oposite of Italian populus cars, which all age like milk
The roads are not getting bigger though.When the E39 came out it was too big but a few year passed and it looked perfect
When the E60 came out it was too big and really ugly but a few year passed and now it looks perfect
The F10 will start to look good in a few years time, which is handy because you'd need to be mental to shove £85k into one knowing it'll be worth around £30k in three years time.
BMWs are kind of like the oposite of Italian populus cars, which all age like milk
It's got to end quite soon... and plenty of people still like a car that takes up X amount of space on Y road... a ratio that doesn't really change... if anything it makes these super fast cars even more stupid, since you can't use them until you are on boring big wide roads with no character anyway.
Dave
Motorrad said:
BSC said:
If the author had driven the M5 to LeMans for the 24 hours he would have written quite a different article.
About how he got stopped by the frogs, wallet raped and relieved of his car?kambites said:
There have been third party parts that do it for years, but as far as I know BMW are the first to do it OEM.
At the very least, SEAT came before them:http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=935...
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