Top Gear test of E60 M5

[kksh]

Hey....
Did you guys see the Top Gear test of the ne M5? Clarkson has a point about all the choices you are given. But for someone like me, who likes to be able to adjust things, it's alright. Sure you take a bit of time off to set it up like you want but in the end, you get the best result.

And love the way The Stig drove it around the track. And how he has to man handle it. But a bit disappointed at it being only half a sec faster than the CLS55 AMG.

[Sir_GT]

Hey....
Did you guys see the Top Gear test of the ne M5? Clarkson has a point about all the choices you are given. But for someone like me, who likes to be able to adjust things, it's alright. Sure you take a bit of time off to set it up like you want but in the end, you get the best result.

And love the way The Stig drove it around the track. And how he has to man handle it. But a bit disappointed at it being only half a sec faster than the CLS55 AMG.

I'm sure the M5 would be far quicker around the nurburgring than the Merc. Remember that the Renault F1 car wasn't that much quicker than the Enzo or the MC12 on the Top Gear track, but I think we can all agree that it would be a much different story on the 'ring.

Besides, with M5 you don't compromise any of it's luxury saloon bits... the CLS has several shortcomings.

[Global Warming]

Well I think quoting nurburgring times is getting a little out of hand. First of all it has traffic and secondly it is so long and has so many corners no driver is ever going to get a "perfect" lap in any car. I mean people get all bent out of shape if the stig does not nail one of the corners perfectly... Then you quote a ring time?!? LOL that is just ridicules. The number of variables that could affect a time on the ring are about 100 times more than the top gear track. Both are far from perfect but I think people should pic a more down to earth course and one that is not open to the public where it is mostly full of traffic of vehicles driven by a bunch of idiots for the most part. I think Nring times are about the worst times of any track you could ever pick to judge a car by.

[IgotWRXed]

well considering clarkson placed an order for the M5, id say he really liked it.

[Ghostbat]

Besides, with M5 you don't compromise any of it's luxury saloon bits... the CLS is has several shortcomings


Dude the perfect car hasn't hit the market yet. Deal with it..

Since the diff exploded and the traction control system went apshit when TG tested the M5 maybe you could say that that car has some shortcomings too. Or is that a perfect car in your opinion Sir_GT?

[Sir_GT]

Besides, with M5 you don't compromise any of it's luxury saloon bits... the CLS is has several shortcomings


Dude the perfect car hasn't hit the market yet. Deal with it..

Since the diff exploded and the traction control system went apshit when TG tested the M5 maybe you could say that that car has some shortcomings too. Or is that a perfect car in your opinion Sir_GT?

Who said the M5 was a perfect car?

Besides, I wouldn't consider durability a shortcoming of the car's design... that would mean that all modern Mercs are inherently compromised. ;)

...and that would be unfair. :)

Besides, the CLS really is inherently compromised anyway. The idea/concept was excellent, however it didn't translate well into the end product because of the base platform it was applied on.

Yes, I do know it may just be my opinion, but I still stand by my opinion that if the CLS concept was applied on a larger platform (the S-class for example), it would have become a modern classic, as opposed to just "quirky".

[Sir_GT]

Well I think quoting nurburgring times is getting a little out of hand. First of all it has traffic and secondly it is so long and has so many corners no driver is ever going to get a "perfect" lap in any car. I mean people get all bent out of shape if the stig does not nail one of the corners perfectly... Then you quote a ring time?!? LOL that is just ridicules. The number of variables that could affect a time on the ring are about 100 times more than the top gear track. Both are far from perfect but I think people should pic a more down to earth course and one that is not open to the public where it is mostly full of traffic of vehicles driven by a bunch of idiots for the most part. I think Nring times are about the worst times of any track you could ever pick to judge a car by.

You can actually have the ring all to yourself. Quite a few car companies do this in order to test certain cars in private. There are also certain days that are arranged by clubs, groups, or whoever, which are reserved in advance so that they could have exclusive access to the ring.

Of course, it does cost, but a lot of the official times are done while the ring is closed off to the public.

[RC45]

... but a lot of the official times are done while the ring is closed off to the public.
Correction - ALL of the "official" times are done on closed days. Whether pool days or private sessions.

How else would be able to do flying lap.. ;)

[kksh]

Are there any posted Ring times of both the M5 and the CLS55 amg?

And I noticed that the RHD M5 clarkson was driving has a LHD style windscreen wipers.

[gottacatchup]

Clarkson's rant on iDrive was rediculous. My family just recently purchased a 530xiT (thats the all wheel drive wagon) and when we picked it up from the factory (European delivery) a representative went through the entire car with us and explained all the functions and menus of the system. That combined with about half an hour of being in the passanger seat scrolling through the menus I had the whole thing pretty much figured out, its really not even half as complicated as they make it out to be.

And yesyes i know pics are coming, problem is the car is currently on route from germany to houston so I cant exactly take any custom pics but as soon as it arrives they will be supplied.

[Ghostbat]

Besides, the CLS really is inherently compromised anyway. The idea/concept was excellent, however it didn't translate well into the end product because of the base platform it was applied on.

Yes, I do know it may just be my opinion, but I still stand by my opinion that if the CLS concept was applied on a larger platform (the S-class for example), it would have become a modern classic, as opposed to just "quirky".


Luckily it's pretty much just you that think so.. Room for four people better comfort than the M5 and equally fast. Like Clarkson said "It's Epic" the 1-series on the other hand is rather "quirky" :wink:

[911GT1]

Hmm... great as the M5 is i still dont like the i-drive. Yes I used it before and no i dont like it. That stupid knob spoils the interior. I rather have a huge good touchscreen interface. That'll make the interior much much cleaner & nicer.

[Just_me]

If Jeremy likes it then the M5 must be good. Tiff on the other hand didnt complain like Jeremy and loved the car every minute he drove.
And the womans voice isnt hard to turn off. Two easy clicks on the M-drive. Jeremy is doing everything for the show. And the diff broken, well its a presscar and well-used. No owners having this problem. You can also programme the suspensionsettings and gearchangessettings so you dont need to worry about it everytime you start the car.

The M5 was 0.7 sec faster than CLS55 in TopGear. Sportauto, Autobild and Autozeitung drove these cars around three different tracks (one of them were Hockenheim) and the M5 was more than 1 sec faster than CLS55 on all three tracks. On TopGear M5 was 10 sec faster than E55. CLS55 is a coupe with 4-doors and also has lower center of gravity than M5 just like M6. M6 handles better and humiliate both CLS55 and M5 on a track. I cant wait for The Stig to drive the M6 around the track. I'm surprised that Stig didnt use launchcontrol, it would eliminate the wheel spin and improve the laptime.




Ps
On Hockenheim, M5 has a laptime of 1.16,5 min, M6 do it in 1.14.4 min. CLS55 need 1.17,8 min on the same track.


Anyway, Jeremy loved the car. :D

[topgeartom]

I personally like to be able to mess with everything and tune things to my liking. Whenever i get a new game or such for the computer, i will always first go to the options menu to hone the game to my liking

[evoWalo]

I like the E60. It looks remarkably different from the E39 I saw parked in front of the store a few days ago. What I didnt like is the fact that it broke easily under Jeza & Stig's driving. For the money I'd want a more sturdy car.

As for having an on board computer... give it time the interface will improve. For all we know the LCD built into the dash will someday be projected onto the front windshield like how those futuristic anime robot cartoons have.

[Just_me]

I like the E60. It looks remarkably different from the E39 I saw parked in front of the store a few days ago. What I didnt like is the fact that it broke easily under Jeza & Stig's driving. For the money I'd want a more sturdy car.



So you making a judgment after TG episode. Its a preproduction car and a presscar. There was a few problems on the first cars but they have been fixed. This are always some problems in the beginning so maybe you should wait a year before you buy one ;) But no owner had any diff exploison, I think its far more important that the cars people are buying are reliable than those in presses. But there are like 100 carreviews of the new M5, I only heard TP having problems so far.

I hope you dont live in UK, 2 years waiting-list. :shock:


PS the car has 200 voice commands so dont need to fix with M-drive all the time.

[evoWalo]

The M5's positioned for people Jeza's age... Maybe in a decade or two. ;) Jeza has a tendency to exagerate problems. The diff exploding might just be the diff wearing out too soon.

Where I live I could get a M5 as soon as they ship it. I'm guessing BMW allocates an X number of M5s per country irregardless of economic standing. Like one fellow got his car a few weeks before the 5th gear review. I also saw the 5th gear review and I am mighty impressed.

200 voice commands are great... if it can follow my weird Filipino accent. ;)

[5vz-fe]

The M5's positioned for people Jeza's age... Maybe in a decade or two. ;) Jeza has a tendency to exagerate problems. The diff exploding might just be the diff wearing out too soon.

Where I live I could get a M5 as soon as they ship it. I'm guessing BMW allocates an X number of M5s per country irregardless of economic standing. Like one fellow got his car a few weeks before the 5th gear review. I also saw the 5th gear review and I am mighty impressed.

200 voice commands are great... if it can follow my weird Filipino accent. ;)

U would think why they don't make speech recongition like the ones in cellphone, regardless ur accent or language, u can still get the correct name. I bet the owners don't mind recording the commands manually.

[Sir_GT]

Besides, the CLS really is inherently compromised anyway. The idea/concept was excellent, however it didn't translate well into the end product because of the base platform it was applied on.

Yes, I do know it may just be my opinion, but I still stand by my opinion that if the CLS concept was applied on a larger platform (the S-class for example), it would have become a modern classic, as opposed to just "quirky".


Luckily it's pretty much just you that think so.. Room for four people better comfort than the M5 and equally fast. Like Clarkson said "It's Epic" the 1-series on the other hand is rather "quirky" :wink:

Why does everyone feel the need to take a shot at my car? It's not even on topic.

I pray that one day a 130i will leave you guys looking like you were standing still at the lights (and the guy in the boxster as well), so that you could all just shut up.

Oh, and the CLS having better comfort than an M5? It seems to me that you haven't even been inside of one. I am not exaggerating when I say that there is even less space in the rear seats of the CLS than there is in the 1-series... and the 1-series is a small hatchback with rear wheel drive!

AND... the CLS isn't faster than the M5. Not even close. A second a lap slower on a flying lap on Hockenheim? That's the difference between Renault and Minardi matey.

Besides... if the CLS was THAT epic, then why wasn't Clarkson hinting about buying one instead of the M5 he hates?

Hell... apparently, the CLS is soooo epic that everybody on the boards stopped talking about it just around a month after its release.

And why isn't there a two-year waiting list on the CLS in the UK? Why is it that they're even offering DISCOUNTS on the CLS???

Why? I'll tell you why... because it was a poorly executed concept. Full stop.

[Sir_GT]

... but a lot of the official times are done while the ring is closed off to the public.
Correction - ALL of the "official" times are done on closed days. Whether pool days or private sessions.

How else would be able to do flying lap.. ;)

I wasn't absolutely sure of that, that's why I didn't say it. :)