2001 BMW M5

Case-hardened by a career-long barrage of lavish press trips and free loaner test cars, the typical automotive journalist tends to be a pretty hard person to impress. Yet BMW's M5 (introduced as a 2000 model) has reduced the automotive press to a bunch of blubbering idiots. Almost universally acknowledged as the best production sports sedan ever offered to the public, the M5 has even been proclaimed to be the "Perfect Car" by some scribes. So much for the jaded automotive press—they're flat in love with the M5.


But can any car be as capable, versatile and just plain good as the M5 buzz suggests? The simple answer: yes. The M5 performs like an all-out sports car, but delivers the comfort of a fine luxury sedan. At about $70,000, the M5 is not cheap, but it's safe to say there's nothing at any price that's a better all-around car.

The M5 can be outfitted with luxurious Bruyere Club wood trim, or with more militant-looking aluminum accents. Great comfort and roominess make this four-door sports car exceptionally livable every day of the week.

Built by BMW's elite M subsidiary, the M5 is the most capable car in the Bavarian maker's storied product line. The M5 starts out as a garden-variety 5 Series sedan, so it has all the core virtues inherent in the breed. There's comfortable room for five in a leather-lined interior that's characterized by fine attention to detail and quiet solidity. Safety engineering is comprehensive too, with BMW's Head Protection System front and rear complementing smart dual-threshold front airbags. Standard ABS, traction control, dynamic stability control and a limited-slip differential help to keep you out of trouble in the first place.


Much of the M5's highly engaging driving character is due to the special chassis tuning it receives. The springs are firmer, and the dampers are more aggressive; ride height is a half-inch lower than its sibling 5 Series sedan, too. Quicker-ratio recirculating-ball steering gear also helps to shorten up the response time. Upgraded 13.6-inch front disc brakes help slow the M5 down, while lightweight 18-inch wheels wrapped with fat Dunlop SP Sport 8080 E tires boost grip.

Compared to the very capable 4.4-liter V-8 that comes in the regular BMW 540i, the M5's nasty 5.0-liter V-8 has an extra 112 horsepower and 44 lb.-ft. more torque. The seat-of-the-pants difference is breathtaking.

All this stuff is secondary to what's going on in the M5's engine bay. Beneath a carbon-fiber-topped intake plenum is an all-aluminum 5.0-liter, 32-valve V-8 engine with double VANOS steplessly variable valve timing. This engine has an individual throttle butterfly for each cylinder, special engine management that adjusts the throttle response to suit the type of driving you're doing, individual knock control for each cylinder—the list of engine management technologies is almost endless.