my take: the styling looks great !
but the fact it’s 0.2 sec slower 0-60 than old M5 is inexcusable
the Bugatti for example dropped 4 turbos and still got faster by going hybrid
the M5 kept the Twin Turbo V8, added an electric motor … and got SLOWER
it is a complete fail - but i knew it would be. this is what happens when you make an EV, ICE and PHEV on the same platform and then also hack an off the shelf ZF 8HP transmission and just replace torque converter with an electric motor instead of developing a proper drivetrain …
this is a sad car …
that said the 550e is NOT a sad car … but only when you realize it is not a replacement for the old 550 but for the old 540 …
because the old 550 was V8 and the new 550 is an Inline-6 like the old 540 and 535 before that
when you view it this way the new 550e is a step forward …
while the new M5 is a step backward …
or rather what the new M5 is - is a replacement for the old M550i. if they called it M560i or something it would have to be considered a good car.
it’s just not an M5. or not a good M5.
just like the XM is not M.
they are just trying to milk the letter “M” now but instead of high revving V10s or double clutch transmissions now they just have hundreds of pounds of extra weight.
Porsche Panamera is now what M5 used to be - a quick 4 door car.
the new M5 is now just a boat with a lot of power.
i should say i test drove this generation 5 series with the base engine and was horrified by how much it rolls in the corners.
it made my Volvo’s handling seem like a Go Kart by comparison.
can you imagine telling somebody 20 years ago that Volvo will handle better than BMW ?
sad times.
i was also disappointed to learn that at least in Euro spec the new 550e does NOT have active roll bars, which my 2008 BMW 550i had.
you need to go to i5 M60 for those now … or the M5
so as i said the new M5 is really now occupying the space where 550 used to be …
and the new 550 is occupying the space where 540 and before that 535 used to be
and there is no true M5 anymore …
