A couple of months back, BMW set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s longest continual drift. And, in order to do this, it had to create a technique to refuel the car – mid drift – with yet another drifting vehicle. In the end, they managed to drift a total of 374.2km on a skid pad and, if you’re wondering what kind of car could manage this spectacular feat, the answer would be the new BMW M5.
One bright and sunny day, we managed to sneak in a couple of laps on the Sepang International Circuit with the BMW M5 and, we have to say, this thing is an absolute beast. Beating at the heart of the M5 is the 4.4l V8 BMW M TwinPower Turbo Technology engine that supplies 600hp and 720Nm of torque. This translates to the M5 being able to go from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds – it’s crazy how this number approaches supercar territory. With all that power under the hood, it’s a good thing that the M5 is the first to offer the M xDrive all-wheel drive system that distributes the power to all four wheels. But, for all you purists out there, fret not, because you will still be able to take it back to the RWD mode that most BMW enthusiasts have come to love.
With these kinds of numbers, it’s hard to imagine that the BMW M5 is still positioned under the premium executive sedan segment; but, when you slow the car down to a more manageable speed, you’ll start to notice the attention to details in the interior. The multi-function bucket seats are trimmed with Merino leather, and the interior trim is an aluminium carbon structure with dark chrome highlights. It has a touch display, BMW Head-Up Display and the full suite of BMW Driver Assistance systems. All this adds up to a brilliant sedan for a nice, relaxing drive – that is, until you push the bright red ‘M’ button on the steering wheel.
Retail price (on the road, without insurance) for the new BMW M5 is MYR942,759.86. More information available at www.bmw.com.my
