Quote:
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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I believe it.
There's a certain amount of dramatic tension in the waiting. A naturally aspirated engine that revs to over 8,000 RPM provides some unique sensory feedback. Once you pass the 6,500 RPM mark, you're in to territory that few people experience on a regular basis. The sound of an S65 as it approaches its 8400 RPM redline contributes to the excitement of driving the car.
With engines like the S63tu, or any other production turbocharged engine for that matter, the drama occurs quickly. Have a look at the difference in the dyno plot between a turbocharged engine and a high-revving naturally aspirated engine. The turbocharged car usually has a torque swell early in the RPM range, which tapers off as you reach the upper RPM range. A naturally aspirated engine like the S65 has a torque curve that is flat as a pancake throughout the RPM range and extends that flatness much higher.
When you experience maximum acceleration in an M3, you anticipate the next shift, but you have to wait, and wait, and wait for the redline to show up. In a turbocharged car like the M5, the torque swells early, then tapers off as you reach higher RPM. I've developed an appreciation for both experiences, but I've definitely noticed that some people are more attached to one or the other. Some people are hooked the first time they experience the early torque delivery of a turbo, while others really like the drama of a high revving engine.