BMW M5 CS: Most. Powerful. Bimmer. Ever.
Meet the M5 CS: quite simply the most powerful production car ever built by BMW.
Its 4.4-liter twin turbo V-8 produces 627 hp at 6000 rpm, which is exactly ten horses more than the M5 Competition and more even than the legendary 6.1-liter S70 V-12 fitted to the McLaren F1. The new super sedan may not match the F1’s top speed, as it maxes out at 190 mph, but it will launch even harder than Gordon Murray’s icon. Enable launch control, mash your right foot into the carpet, and the CS will reach 60 mph from rest in 2.9 seconds, thanks to the terrific traction from the M xDrive all-wheel drive system.
Like its M5 brethren the CS can also be switched to rear-drive and has a range of different driving modes to suit conditions and driver talent/mentality. On that subject, each new M5 CS will come with a voucher for a driver training course.
The power boost is managed through tweaks to the direct fuel injection, liquid-to-air cooling for the brace of turbos and a twin-pump oil system. The eight-speed M Steptronic transmission is fettled to deliver ultra rapid shifts under full bore acceleration and is fitted with its own oil cooler.
The M5 CS builds on the track-focused chassis of the M5 Competition, with stiffer engine mounts, ten per cent stiffer springs, a 0.2-inch lower ride height, increased front negative camber, and a firmer rear anti-roll bar and tow-link ball-joint mounts. The Dynamic Damper Control tuning is enhanced for track work and the car can be optioned with Pirelli P Zero Corsa Tires fitted to the Gold Bronze 20-inch alloys. Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard, and buyers can trade the red calipers for gold at no cost.
BMW Motorsports carbon fiber fabricators have been kept busy and the CS is littered with the stuff. Like all M5s the roof is carbon, but the CS adds a carbon hood and raw carbon for the hood vents, front splitter, mirror caps, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler. A Gold Bronze finish for the grille is a final touch.
The cabin comes trimmed in black Merino leather with Mugello red accents and red stitching, including a map of the Nurburgring Nordschleife sewn into the seats. A unique steering wheel is crafted in Alcantara with a perforated marker at the 12-o’clock position to help you figure out where the wheels are pointed when you’re applying an armful of oppo.
If you want to get behind the wheel of the new BMW M5 CS then it will set you back $142,000 plus destination fees. You’ll have to be quick, though. The car will be limited to one model year only, with U.S. deliveries slated to begin in the second half of 2021.
