I’ve long been saying that the BMW M5 CS is the best driving sedan of the past few years, maybe even the past decade. It’s a sensational machine, one that feels so much better than the standard M5 that the standard car no longer deserves its M badge. I recently drove the M5’s toughest competitor, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and felt it far better than every non-CS M5 but that the CS was still better. But am I just a BMW fanboy or is it really that good? Motor Trend recently put the M5 CS up against the aforementioned Blackwing (a journo-favorite) and the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S.
The 2,000 Horsepower Test
Honestly, all three super sedans have their own unique reason for driving/buying them. I can see wanted to drive each under specific circumstances. For instance, the AMG’s thunderous V8 and luxurious cabin would make it a fine grand tourer. While the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a raucous, fire-spitting hooligan that would make a fine burnout-ripping, tire-smoking monster. And the M5 CS is the sedan you want on a twisty back road, where precision and balance matter more than anything else. But which is best? First, let’s check the specs.
The BMW M5 CS uses a slightly tuned version of the M5’s familiar twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, making 627 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The AMG’s formula is pretty familiar at this point as well, with its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 making 630 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. It gets a nine-speed car and all-wheel drive. It’s the Caddy that’s the outlier, using a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 with an astonishing 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft. Unlike the Germans, there are two transmission options—a six-speed manual or a ten-speed auto—and the latter was the one used in MT’s test and that’s important. The Blackwing is also the only car of the three to be rear-wheel drive.
So which one was considered best? Well, without spoiling it, it really only came down to the M5 CS and the Blackwing, both of which were far more enjoyable than the AMG. Having driven both, I will say that they’re both excellent and I’d love to own either. However, the Blackwing was let down by its ten-speed automatic. I firmly believe the manual is the only real choice for the Blackwing, unless you physically cannot use a manual transmission, as it’s an instrumental part of the car’s character. Having said that, even with the car, the Caddy is brilliant. But so is the M5 CS. Check out MT’s review to find out which is best.
[Source: Motor Trend]