When BMW released the official specifications of the brand new seventh-generation G90 M5 back in the summertime, the web lost its collective mind over the indisputable fact that it now weighs about as much because the moon at nearly 5,400 kilos. Armchair engineers, keyboard warriors, and plenty of industry experts raised hell in regards to the midsize performance sedan’s gargantuan heft, but the most efficient thing that got here of all of the outcry were some grade-A memes, and none of it was unprecedented. Yes, the G90 M5 is a heavy automobile, but most recent cars within the era of hybridization are heavier than their predecessors. One in every of the newest MotorWeek Retro Reviews focuses on the controversial 2006 E60 M5, and despite being 1,000 kilos lighter than the G90, its girth was also the source of controversy nearly 20 years and three generations ago.
The fourth-gen M5 got here to the U.S. in 2006, and it had a tricky act to follow after the virtually universally praised E39 M5 won the hearts of everyone who drove one. The E39 M5 was the primary M5 to have eight cylinders under its hood, weighing in at a then-porky 4,000 kilos, and for its follow-up BMW did what manufacturers commonly did within the early 2000s and upped the naturally aspirated cylinder count.
The E60 M5 had ten snarling cylinders under its hood and it brought an automatic transmission to the party, so it was heavier than its predecessor, but not by much. Only about 80 kilos separated the E39 M5 from the E60, going from slightly below 4,000 kilos to simply over 4,000 kilos, and that weight was incessantly mentioned in reviews of the then-new E60 M5.
On this Retro Review, the lucky geese on the MotorWeek team got to trace test an E60 M5 and had a number of selection words in regards to the recent automobile’s weight. These reviewers said they may feel the additional weight from the primary turn of the steering wheel, which is sort of surprising provided that it was only about an 80-pound increase over the previous automobile. The BMW 5 Series is a midsize luxury sedan before all else, and it all the time has been. To be competitive available in the market, midsize cars must find a way to comfortably haul executives and their yuppie families in luxurious decadence, which frequently calls for added weight and size.
Am I saying the G90 M5 isn’t heavy? No, I’m not. I’m saying that, as with many BMWs in modern history, sometimes it takes a number of years for things to settle in, and before we realize it, folks yearn for the models that they bitched about just a number of years ago. I do hope that subsequent recent M5s don’t follow the G90s trend of gaining over 1,000 kilos, but I’m sure we’ll realize the error of our gripes and look upon the G90 with kinder eyes soon enough.
This Article First Appeared At jalopnik.com
