Discussion
What a car!
Spent a couple of snatched days behind the wheel of Ecurie's latest addition to their fleet - a bronze E60 M5. In between running errands and taking photo's (the reason I was driving it in the first place) I learned enough about the car to come away deeply impressed by the package.
First of all, its not a sportscar - its much too heavy, understeers a lot, and kills its brakes quickly if you drop the hammer in any meaningful fashion. What you must do is adjust you're driving style to suit the car, so slow in fast out rules the roost. Considering we're talking about a comfortable 4 door saloon, its x-country abilities are astounding - the steering whilst not the last word in feel is at least decently weighty and accurate, the body movements with EDC set to full are very well controlled with little/no float and the powertrain is astounding. That big V10 delivers so much punch in the upper rev range its quite incredible - the way the speed piles on even at high speeds verges on the ridiculous.
For what it is, the chassis is incredibly accomplished: I generally found myself driving with DSC off (basically M mode with traction & stability control non-active) because it gave quick access to 'proper drivers mode' as I call it, and the car is so composed that you'd have to be trying very very hard indeed to get into trouble through lack of electronic intervention. The basic chassis is so good and any slides are so easily controlled that it almost seemed sacrilidge to run with TC on - the car is so beautifully adjustable on the throttle that it really ought to be explored, and adds an extra dimension to its performance envelope that really needs to be unleashed.
I love the way you can have *real* fun on a challenging road at the wheel of this car, probably get 7mpg then hit the road home pop cruise control on, adjust the A/C relax and cruise in silence @ 80mph.... a truly multi-faceted car.
I'm now rather convinced that £65k is a bl00dy bargain - 200mph, proper handling (ok its till not a 'proper' sportscar) with a vast wealth of benign oversteer if you want it, stunningly fast, nicely built, 4 decent seats, big boot, every conceivable extra (TV, DVD, A/C etc....).... the only car you could ever need. Shame it doesn't look better (though I suspect carbon black would be highly acceptable!).
Bad points? The steering isn't the last word in feel. It's an awesome engineering feat, but its not overwhelmed with character. It REALLY likes a gallon or 10 of Super Unleaded. Thats it: what else can you say about a car so multifaceted that it can take on a supercar x-country on one hand, then do a continental cruise in utter comfort in the other...
Me? I'm planning to wait 3 years and will really look for one at £35kish....
D1 drift championship Saturday, Country pub trip Sunday, Back to work Monday - the car that really can do it all! But its still not a sportscar, so I foresee an Exige as the low mileage partner in the garage......
>> Edited by trackdemon on Thursday 18th May 00:37
Spent a couple of snatched days behind the wheel of Ecurie's latest addition to their fleet - a bronze E60 M5. In between running errands and taking photo's (the reason I was driving it in the first place) I learned enough about the car to come away deeply impressed by the package.
First of all, its not a sportscar - its much too heavy, understeers a lot, and kills its brakes quickly if you drop the hammer in any meaningful fashion. What you must do is adjust you're driving style to suit the car, so slow in fast out rules the roost. Considering we're talking about a comfortable 4 door saloon, its x-country abilities are astounding - the steering whilst not the last word in feel is at least decently weighty and accurate, the body movements with EDC set to full are very well controlled with little/no float and the powertrain is astounding. That big V10 delivers so much punch in the upper rev range its quite incredible - the way the speed piles on even at high speeds verges on the ridiculous.
For what it is, the chassis is incredibly accomplished: I generally found myself driving with DSC off (basically M mode with traction & stability control non-active) because it gave quick access to 'proper drivers mode' as I call it, and the car is so composed that you'd have to be trying very very hard indeed to get into trouble through lack of electronic intervention. The basic chassis is so good and any slides are so easily controlled that it almost seemed sacrilidge to run with TC on - the car is so beautifully adjustable on the throttle that it really ought to be explored, and adds an extra dimension to its performance envelope that really needs to be unleashed.
I love the way you can have *real* fun on a challenging road at the wheel of this car, probably get 7mpg then hit the road home pop cruise control on, adjust the A/C relax and cruise in silence @ 80mph.... a truly multi-faceted car.
I'm now rather convinced that £65k is a bl00dy bargain - 200mph, proper handling (ok its till not a 'proper' sportscar) with a vast wealth of benign oversteer if you want it, stunningly fast, nicely built, 4 decent seats, big boot, every conceivable extra (TV, DVD, A/C etc....).... the only car you could ever need. Shame it doesn't look better (though I suspect carbon black would be highly acceptable!).
Bad points? The steering isn't the last word in feel. It's an awesome engineering feat, but its not overwhelmed with character. It REALLY likes a gallon or 10 of Super Unleaded. Thats it: what else can you say about a car so multifaceted that it can take on a supercar x-country on one hand, then do a continental cruise in utter comfort in the other...
Me? I'm planning to wait 3 years and will really look for one at £35kish....
D1 drift championship Saturday, Country pub trip Sunday, Back to work Monday - the car that really can do it all! But its still not a sportscar, so I foresee an Exige as the low mileage partner in the garage...... >> Edited by trackdemon on Thursday 18th May 00:37
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