Whenever a Dodge Hellcat is involved in a comparison, you can almost bet on two things: one, it'll be the one with more power, and two, it'll be less expensive. It'll also likely be more fun.
That's perhaps the essence of all things Hellcat: lots of power and lots of enjoyment, all wrapped in a largely affordable package. And when we say "affordable", we mostly mean by comparison with other vehicles that have similar levels of power and performance.
Of which there aren't too many - at least not ones that keep the same number of doors too. Well, the 2022 BMW M5 CS might have a little something to say about that. "What in the world is the CS?" you might say, thinking M5s couldn't get any better than the Competition. Oh, they can, and then some.
The CS, which stands for Club Sport, is the ultimate incarnation of an M model. It's the version that sacrifices some of the luxury and day-to-day drivability and puts all its chips on performance, whichever way you want to think about it. Straight-line acceleration? It's got it. Turning ability? Plenty. Stopping power? Like a six-foot-thick brick wall. Did we miss anything?
We're making the M5 CS sound like it's the ultimate BMW M car, and it may very well be. It's more powerful (10 extra horsepower) than the Competition and lighter (by a hefty 200 lbs / 90 kg), which leaves very few ways in which it could be worse. Actually, it leaves none.
Photo: Throttle House / YouTube screenshot
However, even with the power boost over the Competition, the M5 CS still only makes 626 hp. Yes, we did say "only," and that's because its rival for the day, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, has 797 hp to play with, which has got to be the most ridiculous power figure associated with a sedan. It's almost more ridiculous than if it were 1 hp.
The weight difference between the two is substantial at 500 lbs (225 kg), but then again, when we're talking this much power, its significance tends to fade away. The real differentiator here, however, is going to be the all-wheel-drive system and launch control of the BMW compared to the Redeye's RWD setup and notorious launching problems.
Yup, as expected, that turns out to be a huge problem, one that gives the Charger a one-way ticket to Gap City (drag races start at 5:30). The distance between the two is absolutely ridiculous and should never happen, no matter how many more wheels one turns compared to the other. Seriously, it's hard to put into words just how badly the BMW spanks the Dodge in the standing race.
Thanks to the Bimmer's clever M xDrive AWD system, the M5 CS can be turned into a RWD car with the flick of a button. It's time for a rematch, then, this time with the AWD advantage removed from the equation. Do you think that made much of a difference? Short answer, no. It did shorten the gap, but there was still plenty of light between them.
Photo: Throttle House / YouTube screenshot
Last chance saloon for the Charger: a rolling race. This way, its launching issues are nullified, and it can deploy its full grunt which is, in theory, vastly superior to the BMW's (even at this level, 170 hp still counts for something). We're going to ask you one more time: do you think it made a difference? It sure did, but the scary thing is the BMW still won. And there's an even scarier part: it continued to pull away at the top end where the extra power of the Charger should have made the difference.
The BMW M5 CS is beginning to sound like the ultimate car from the Bavarian manufacturer you can buy right now, and if anything, the lap around the circuit only confirms it. Despite its size and the narrow and twisty nature of the track, the M5 CS manages to beat the time of the M2 CS. In fact, it's only a little over two seconds slower than the Porsche 911 (992) GT3, and that tells you everything you need to know.
Is there really a purpose for the M5 CS, though? Who is the target buyer? Are they serious racing enthusiasts, because if they are, they probably need a dedicated car for that? And if they're not, do they genuinely need all the extra performance the CS offers over the regular M5 (Competition or not), not to mention all the sacrifices? Our guess would be "no".
That leaves only one possible explanation: the M5 CS is just BMW flexing its muscles and showing everyone it's still got it. They may not exactly nail the designs lately, but the Bavarians can still make supreme sporty sedans like nobody else. Looking for logic behind the M5 CS is going about it the wrong way.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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