Hi guys,
It took some time to translate my experience.
Friday was a beautiful day, dry, sunshine and a temperature of 15 °Celcius.
I went to Lelystad with my M5 (E39). The last kilometres I drove true the countryside and I was able to use the power and speed of the M5 at the empty country road.
When I arrived at the address I had a lot of luck, 3 new M5’s where park on the street and I rushed to the cars. It was the first time I saw the new M5 and because of my enthusiasm I forgot my camera.
The 3 M’s where different from colour, one in silver-grey, one in silver stone grey (lichtbleu?) and one in interlagos bleu.
After reporting myself, I was introduced to my instructor. We went to the bleu M5 and he gave me a short overview of the different between the old and new M5.
Especially the SMG was a big difference with my old M5. There are 6 possibility’s the first 5 are standard programmed, the last one can be programmed and is especially for racing, then the SMG works as in a F1 race car.
After setting the suspension, we drove away into the direction of the racetrack. The first kilometres went over public road and it came clear that this is a car for normal driving in public area’s. However, the acceleration is something you have to calculate, pushing the pedal down will cause a fast accelaration even in the lowest SMG sifting modes. Before we went to the track the instructor asked me to drive true the countryside, The roads where empty and the fun begun.
Changing the SMG to a hard modus (3) and even 4 and 5 gave the car a boost with every change of gear. The most phenomenal experience is to drive 30 km a hour and then pushing the gas pedal thru the kick down and keeping it there, it gave me an adrenaline kick I never experienced before.
In my opinion the SMG works very good, short time of shifting up or down and the possibility to choice your own favourite modus.
We arrived on the track and did some driving on a wet and slippery test road, We tested the ABC and traction controls. The difference between manual steering with no help of the computers or with help is for me the difference of riding on the road or gliding right and left.
We changed position and the instructor did a first lap on the track. He accelerates up to 180 km and dived into the first corner. I felt the g-forces on my head and faced the car in a + 60 ° position. It was like a roller coaster.
Acceleration on the end of the first corner up to 240 km and braking down to + 180 km for the next corner, after the first lap we did a emergency stop. Great brakes even time after time there are no problems with the brakes.
After this stop I did 3 runes on the track, it was a lifetime experience, hard working, looking at the track, changing gears, looking at the head up display for speed and rev-counter. Changing gears at 7000 rpm and driving 240 km the instructor told me that there is a seventh gear and if I am interested I my use it (???).
After these laps I also did the emergency stop and we left the track.
Driving back in e-drive the car is a –normal- 5 series. During testdriving I noticed that the sound of the engine is very low, no screaming or thunder like the old on
I forgot to take some pictures but i am sure some other M5 ethusiasts will fil up the gap.
(sorry for my bad English)
That's me green with envy.
