BMW M5 Competition is a special car. A simple check on our archives shows it’s an active car on the drag strip racing anything with a powerplant and four wheels. It’s a barbarian on the track and a weapon in the streets. But this wasn’t enough for the German automaker. It gutted out 230 pounds, added 10 HP, giving rise to the BMW M5 CS.
The BMW M5 CS is the ultimate M5. It has stiffer springs, motor mounts and sway bars, revised dampers and bushing. BMW says they cut off 230 pounds (104 kg), but the folks at Car and Driver weighed it at 147 pounds (a worth improvement nonetheless).
Due to the weight reduction crusade, the M5 CS doesn’t have a sunroof. Instead, you get a carbon fiber top and hood. They also reduced sound-deadening, put lighter wheels and M3 bucket seats.
Under the hood, the CS comes with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 mated to an 8-speed ZF transmission making 627 HP and 749 Nm of torque. It will bolt from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.6-seconds and finish the quarter-mile in 10.6-seconds.
Off the line, the BMW M5 CS is sticky and feels a lot lighter. The acceleration is impressive, with the first gear having an EV-level torque feel. The steering wheel is lightweight and responsive to touch, making it the perfect weapon to drive through hills and canyons.
It’s easy to note how refined it feels compared to the standard M5. You’ll hardly fight oversteer getting out of a corner - torque vectoring systems takes over, restoring your confidence.
Is the M5 CS any better than its closest competition, including the CTS Blackwing and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S, or has BMW ruined the best aspect of the M5? Well, the M5 CS is an incredible improvement from the standard M5, but at a price.
Most people buying get the CS would love to use it daily. However, BMW messed up its comfortability, making it more predisposed to being a track car. Matt Farah and Zack Klapman of The Smoking Tire note the seat divider hump not only interferes with driving but is also annoyingly uncomfortable. It’s also not as quick off the line as its competitors - notably the CTS Black Wing.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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