BMW M5 CS 2023 review | evo - Kiến Thức Cho Người lao Động Việt Nam

While a lightweight BMW M5 seems an odd proposition, it’s proven to be a formula we never knew we needed. Admittedly at 1825kg the M5 CS isn’t a lightweight in the truest sense, rather it’s 70kg lighter than an M5 Competition and anything up to 150kg lighter than a few rival twin-turbocharged, V8 engined, four-wheel-drive executive hot rods like the Audi RS7 or Mercedes-AMG E63 S.

But before we go into specifics, it’s worth noting that the M5 CS follows a pathway lead by the M2 CS as proof that BMW M is on some serious form. It might be a generation behind the latest M3 and M4 in design (some might say mercifully so) but the CS was not only good enough to be included in our evo Car of the Year competition, it took the overall title. Yes folks, the BMW M5 CS was our 2021 car of the year. Here’s why.

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It’s impossible to argue that 1825kg is not a chunky mass to haul around even when the most powerful BMW M engine is at your disposal. Yet the M5 CS not only feels a more potent car than the M5 Competition on which it is based, but a more resolved and therefore engaging supersaloon as a result. The shades of grey that are often hard to define in an M5 Comp are much clearer here, providing a more vibrant and colourful connection between you, the car and the road.

It’s the layers beneath the CS that really transform this M5 though. A drop in ride height and the adaptive dampers from the M8 Gran Coupe combined with a thorough overhaul of the car’s chassis geometry and bushes result in an M5 with a level of dynamic ability wholly unexpected. And it’s thoroughly welcomed.

On an evo test route that would unsettle the rear axle of an M5 Comp to the point of distraction there’s a calmness and control to the M5 CS’s chassis that brings with it a new found level of agility and precision. Where you would normally approach corners in a car of this size and bulk with a slow entry speed, a period of waiting for it to settle before calling upon all of the performance on offer to fire you out of the apex, in the CS it’s beautifully different.

It’s so much more responsive to your inputs via the Alcantara steering wheel that you dive through the turn-in and arrive pin sharp on the apex already driving for the exit in one clean, fluid motion. Your confidence in the car increases with each challenge you face, the ability of the CS never waning, your admiration for it always increasing.

Then there is the ride quality. Not only is it more relaxed when you want it to be at low speeds – highlighting how firm an M5 Comp is even in Comfort mode – but there is a sizable improvement in body control, and the link between the front and rear axle to the road. No longer does the rear of the car hop, skip and jump when it comes into contact with a poor surface when under power, instead it retains a cast iron grip keeping the tyres (our test car came equipped with the excellent Michelin Pilot Sport 4S instead of the bespoke Pirelli P Zero Corsa) firmly in contact with the road at all times. It means you’re more relaxed when sitting in the M3’s carbon seats, gripping that Alcantara wheel and pulling/pushing the tactile shift paddles.

This means there’s more grip to lean on and work with. Switch every mode off and turn the CS into a 626bhp rear-drive saloon and it will slide around until your heart is thumping out of your chest, but adjust the drivetrain to four-wheel drive Sport and select MDM and the blend of grip and slip feels just right for the road, providing enough movement to maintain momentum without the need for you to be constantly reigning it in.

Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard and save 23kg of the total 70kg reduction, and while there’s an initially solid feel to the pedal when you first apply pressure, they quickly provide a progressive feel and action. Despite the M5’s overall weight they have to manage, you’ll struggle to induce any level of fade on the road. Although such is the level of confidence the chassis inspires, your braking inputs are less aggressive and shorter than they would be in an M5 Comp.

Prices and rivals

The £38,000 premium the CS commands over an M5 Competition is far from an insignificant sum of money. Yes it includes the engine’s performance increase and the work to the chassis (this alone is worth half the cost in its own right) and a whole lot more bespoke elements, from the gold/bronze wheels and yellow daytime running lights.

There is also a carbon fibre bonnet that features an M5 CS logo embossed in its underside and the interior is a homage to bucket seats (there are four of them) and Alcantara, and the deletion of a luxury such as the centre armrest/storage box between the front seats. And there’s an outline of the Nürburgring integrated into the perforations in the headrests.

But the one thing you can’t attribute a cost to is how it drives. Quite simply the M5 CS is a bewitching, enthralling and captivating supersaloon. One of the very best there has been, and you can’t put a price on that.

Specs

EngineV8, 4395cc, twin-turboPower626bhp @ 6000rpmTorque553lb ft @ 1800-5950rpmWeight1825kg (349bhp/ton)0-62mph3.0secTop speed189mph (limited)Price£140,780