Which M5 is the best?
The BMW M5 luxury sedan is the ultimate in full-size luxury. It combines luxurious comfort with unmatched speed and performance. The M5 has evolved in power, luxury and performance over its 36-year production run. But which M5 is the best? Tiff Needell will be driving every M5 back-to-back to determine which one is his favorite.
The E28 M5 was first introduced in 1984. It was powered by a 2.8-liter straight-6 engine with 280 horsepower. This engine was derived from M1. BMW powered this powerful straight-6 through a 5-speed manual transmission, sending power to the rear wheels. The M5 sports sedan quickly became a favorite, weighing in at just 3,100 pounds. The E28 M5 is one of the most rare M cars ever made, with only 2,241 units produced.
E34 BMW M5 retained both the straight-6 and manual transmissions of the E34, but gained technology as well as weight. The BMW M5 now weighs in at 3,800 pounds. This means that it has lost some of its speed and handling for more power, tech, and technology. The E34 was the first M5 with an adaptive suspension. It also featured the S38B36 straight-6, which produced 311 horsepower.
The 1998 BMW E39 M5 V8-powered model continued the E34’s legacy of technology, power and weight. The S62 V8 engine, a 4.9-liter S62, produced 400 horsepower and a blazing 0-60 time of just 4.8 seconds. Although the E39 was a significant leap ahead of the M5, a manual transmission remained the only transmission. The E39 weighed 3,900lbs, which was a slight weight increase over E34. However, the extra V8 power was enough to mask the difference.
A V10-powered sedan. BMW had gone completely insane when they installed a 5.0-liter V10 under their E60 M5 sports sedan. The E60 M5’s 500-horsepower S85 engine revved to 8,250 RPM and was only available in the E60 M5. The controversial single-clutch SMG automatic transmission was also introduced to the E60 M5. A letter campaign was launched in America to offer customers an optional 6-speed manual, but not for the rest of the world.
The F10 and F90 M5s are the most recent versions of BMW’s super sedan formula. Modern M5s have twin-turbo V8 engine that produce more power than the E60 V10, but lacks the same character as the E60. Unfortunately, the F series M5s are only available in automatic transmissions.