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Originally Posted by RealStig
I finally drove an M5 a few times now and I can say that it's an amazing car from an interior perspective. It's just unreal. If the new M3 can be 30% of the M5 from an interior perspective, it'll be an amazing car. There is just so much difference between a 335i (F30) and an M5 right now. I know M3 is closing that gap, but how much is the question.
From a performance perspective the story is different. The car has torque at all levels. No turbo lag at all (I'm not sure this is because it was a 575 hp monster or the improved turbos). You touch the throttle slightly at 1200 rpm, and you get the power under your foot right there. Amazing feeling. That being said, when you WOT, it really does not feel so fast. Or in other words, it doesn't sound "as scary" as my M3. In my M3, when I go WOT from 20 mph to 90 mph, you get this sheer adrenalin being pumped into your veins. M3 is a lot less forgiving car. You have to be very careful. The road noise, steering feedback, it's a lot more raw, direct. M5 is what it should be, it's executive. It absorbs the road noise so well. The steering feedback is there, but it's a lot more forgiving. The torque though, believe it or not, it just does not feel like 500+ lb/ft, it doesn't. And I don't know if it's because the torque starts at 1200 rpm or not vs it builds gradually in the M3 (S65), the M3 punches you back more to your seat. With M5, you are like "meh, I'm doing 90 mph", with M3, it's more like "holy crap, I'm doing 90 mph", it's hard to explain. Naturally aspirated engines are a bit more rewarding and turbo is a lot easier to get it up there at fast levels. I'm not sure if I did a good job explaining, I drove my M3 and the M5, back to back, exactly 4 times and this is my feedback.
Oh and the active sound in M5 actually sounds pretty good. It's done very elegantly, you don't really feel it. I quite liked it.
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Very interesting comparison
One of the "issues" with the F10 gen 5-series is that you are slightly detached from the driving experience, both compared with the E60, but not least compared with a 3-series. I suppose (hope) that the F8x M's will have a more raw, visceral drivers experience than the F10 M5 has (even though my drives in the F1x gen M5/6 have been enjoyable, especially the Manhart MH5 S with 700+ hp on the Autobahn
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This is how the F1 drivers comment on the power delivery characteristics of their new Turbo V6 engines:
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ENGINE/POWER:
On their own the 1.6-litre turbos produce a little over 600bhp, with the ERS adding as much as 160bhp to that. The overall power is thus similar to the old V8s, but it is the increased torque that is the big change.
It's something McLaren's Jenson Button likes. "I enjoy driving this car," he says. "The power of the engine is nice. It's very torquey.
"It feels the most powerful engine I've driven. It obviously isn't in terms of outright power, but as a racing driver you feel the torque and power at slow speed. It's coming out of the corners when you have so much torque that's exciting."
Williams's Valtteri Bottas agrees: "I really enjoy this, it's good fun. The power feels nice, so no complaints.
"You can really feel the difference and have to modify your driving style a little bit. I also think setting up the car might be a little bit different."
Esteban Gutierrez likened his Sauber to a GP3 car, but still feels the new cars are good to drive. "It's more enjoyable," he says.
"The whole concept of the feeling is a little like the GP3 car I would say - the way the turbo and the torque come in. It is a very different scale because you have a lot more power and the ERS.
"We have more power and I'm enjoying the way it feels. You also have a greater range with the gears, and you can shift early and still get the power."
Sauber team-mate Adrian Sutil adds: "It's not about using all the rev band anymore. The V8 was operating between 15 and 18,000rpm, so you always had to keep the revs up.
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