The V10 is an exotic engine. Not many cars have been equipped with this power unit, but each car featuring it has become famous – the Viper, the Gallardo, the Huracan, the LF-A and the Carrera GT. It was used in F1 for several years, generating a deafening sound that many people yearn to hear again. A lot of prototype racecars also used the engine, including the legendary Peugeot 905 which won Le Mans twice in a row. With a wrap sheet like that, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the engine never ended up in a sedan – but you’d be wrong. When BMW wanted to beat AMG in the horsepower wars, they gave their flagship M5 two extra cylinders simply because they could. It also tied in to their F1 partnership with Sauber, sweetening the pot that contained the wicked concoction.
Putting an exotic engine in a mostly anonymous sedan could very much be considered a waste, but thats not how BMW works. When they tried making their own supercar in the form of the M1, it resulted in serious financial losses, even though it was a great car. After this, BMW never made another mid-engined car until the controversial i8. They were scared off by the experience, so they just dug deeper with their sedans and coupes. Nothing was off limits so when push came to shove, they brought the madness and said “hold my beer” to AMG before landing a devastating blow with a sledgehammer. Don’t kick BMW when they’re down because they will strike back with brutality.
The Chris Bangle era of BMW design was originally met with a lot of criticism, completely shfiting the design language that gave birth to the E38, E39 and E46. When the new line of thinking made it’s way over to the E60 5 Series, it became far less stout and a lot more curvy, particularly around intake holes. The bonnet bulged quite a bit in standard guise and the lights looked more like the eyes of a tiger than a frog. Similar to the E55, not many changes were made externally to differentiate the M5 from the regular 5 Series. To tell you the truth, I can’t immediately tell an M5 apart from the 5 Series just by looking at the front. I can only tell if I can see the rear and those 4 exhausts.
The E60 M5 has been a part of my life ever since I drove it in Gran Turismo 4. In fact, the car made it’s video game debut in GT BEFORE any customers got it because it was released in December 2004. In the game, the car was designated as an ’05 model like the Ford GT. However it was in GT PSP where I developed an affinity for the car, being specifically chosen for a dedicated “Attacking The Nurburgring” circuit challenge. It was broken up into several sections because learning the intricacies of all 21 KM cannot be absorbed in one go. I basically learnt how to drive on the Nurburgring in the E60 M5.
How does one sum up such a wild machine? Not only has it made a lasting impact on me, but it’s made a lasting impact on the car world in general. It totally blindsided AMG, who were of the belief that a supercharged V8 was enough. Audi pushed along development of their own V10 for the RS6, which ended up being more powerful, but it was turbocharged unlike the BMW unit. You won’t see a sports sedan like this ever again.
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