BMW debuts its fastest car yet, the M5 CS

WHILE the M8 Competition may be the flagship of BMW’s range on a day-to-day basis, the Bavarian brand has just upped its performance ante with the reveal of the M5 CS – the fastest and most powerful BMW to date.

Set to land Down Under mid-year in an allocation of just 20 units – all of which have been sold – the M5 CS is both lighter and more powerful than the M5 Competition, shedding 70kg from its kerb weight while the familiar twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine has been tuned to 467kW/750Nm.

The results largely speak for themselves, with zero to 100km/h being dispatched in 3.0 seconds (0.3s faster), a 10.4-second dash to 200km/h (0.4s faster) and the same 305km/h electronically limited top speed.

As with the ‘standard’ car, drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

To help haul the flying four-door back up again, BMW has specced M carbon ceramic brakes as standard on the CS which not only provide more stopping power, but also save 23kg of unsprung mass compared to the M compound brakes fitted to the Competition.

The rest of the weight-saving comes through the extensive use of carbon-fibre both for the body and interior, including the bonnet, front splitter, wing mirrors, boot spoiler, rear diffuser and bucket seats.

Marking the CS’ out among the rest of its M-branded stablemates are a wealth of signature styling cues including the uniquely bulged and vented bonnet, the aforementioned carbon-fibre body features and a distinctive gold-bronze finish for the kidney grille surround, 20-inch M forged wheels and ‘M5 CS’ badging.

Under the skin, the damping and spring rates have been given a unique retune to further enhance the car’s dynamic capabilities while super sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres can also be fitted as a no cost option.

Things have been stepped up inside the cabin too where the most marked change is the move to four individual seats rather than the traditional five.

Upholstered in black Merino leather, the seats feature all-red stitching and a map of the Nurburgring embossed on the head restraints while the front pews also score illuminated M5 badges.

Other standard equipment highlights of the M5 CS include BMW Laserlight with yellow icon lights, illuminated ‘M5 CS’ door sills, M Alcantara steering wheel with carbon paddles, fixed lightweight carbon centre console, ceramic surrounds for controls, driving assistant, parking assistant, Harman/Kardon surround sound system and BMW individual frozen paintwork.

Not surprisingly, there is a decent price to pay for all the extra performance, trinkets and exclusivity with the M5 CS due to arrive Down Under priced from $305,900 driveaway, or for comparison’s sake, $274,900 plus on-road costs.

On retail price, that places the CS an even $30,000 upstream of the M5 Competition ($244,900), but still $80,000 shy of the M8 Competition Gran Coupe which shares the same engine and running gear – minus 7kW – and donates a good portion of its suspension set-up.

BMW Australia sold 718 5 Series’ last year, marking a 25.5 per cent sales dip compared to the previous year.

2021 BMW 5 Series pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs