The Verdict: BMW M5 - the soon-to-be-famous 5

The new BMW M5 is a triumph of speed and refinement. Unfortunately, you need an autobahn to really experience its merits, says David Wilkins

Germany, in case you hadn't noticed, is in a bit of a mess. The economy has hardly grown for five years, so mass unemployment and stagnating living standards are grim facts of life. But while the country's leaders have been providing textbook writers of public policy and macroeconomic management with a steady supply of examples of how not to do it, corporate Germany is doing rather well. That's because although the Germans have been keeping their hands in their pockets, the rest of the world just can't buy enough of the well-designed products that their best companies are still capable of coming up with.

One of the most desirable of these products is the new generation M5 - the sportiest version of BMW's 5-series. It's packed with the latest technology - a superb 5.0-litre V10 engine, for example - and features, such as a head-up display that projects vital information on to the windscreen in front of the driver. The results are predictably impressive. Fierce performance delivered in an impeccably civilised manner, deliciously accurate steering - the list just goes on. The M5 is even surprisingly comfortable on bad road surfaces, an impressive achievement for a car as well tied down as this one, with such large wheels and tyres.

The only real reservations concern the seven-speed sequential gearbox. Steering wheel-mounted paddles for gear-changing can initially be fun, but the novelty often wears off. My guess would be that most cars fitted with them end up being driven like automatics. But in the M5 you might well prefer to stick with the paddles. In the automatic-style 'D' mode, gear-changes on our test car were often hesitant, although this was less noticeable if one of the sportier shift-patterns was selected - an example of the mind-boggling range of optional settings that the M5 offers its driver, including a button that boosts the engine's power from 400 to 507bhp. On a short test, this can feel like too much choice, but may not be so if you can get to grips with the M5's talents over a longer period of ownership.

Whether the full range of its capabilities is accessible on UK public highways is another matter. Asking the M5 to entertain you on such roads is a bit like commissioning Jackson Pollock to design a postage stamp; BMW's fastest 5 really needs a much larger canvas on which to express its considerable talents - an Alpine pass, perhaps, or, as our reader Chris Horn suggests, a wide, empty autobahn without speed limits.

Ah yes, the fast roads to go with the fast cars. I knew there was something else that the Germans did well.

Derek Morris, 45
IT consultant from Sawston, Cambs
USUAL CAR: LEXUS SC430
I like the M5's looks. It's not beautiful, but it's attractive. I wasn't too keen on the brushed aluminium trim or the black headlining. I liked the head-up display, although I only noticed it once I'd taken off my sunglasses! It felt reasonably docile when pottering around. The ride was very comfortable and it was very smooth over speed bumps. Once you put your foot down, though, it is incredible, with huge acceleration between 5,000 and 8,000rpm. I wonder whether it might not be over-complicated, with all those different gear-changing modes, for example. Good as the car is, I don't know whether it's worth the premium over other 5-series models.

Chris Horn, 38
Building supervisor from Flitwick, Beds
USUAL CAR: BMW 318i
The M5 is not a hard car to drive at all, considering the power. Another impressive aspect, considering its size, is the clear vision from the driver's seat. I think the hesitation on gear-change in the automatic mode would take a bit of getting used to, although it's great when you drive it using the paddles. The car is probably wasted in this country. I can imagine doing 150mph in it on a long autobahn journey and getting out feeling fresh; it is comfortable. I like the look; it's fairly understated considering this is the M version. The interior is slightly plain apart from the gadgetry, perhaps because the iDrive system does away with so many other buttons.

Stephen Howie, 50
Trainee teacher from Cottenham, Cambs
USUAL CAR: MERCEDES-BENZ 230E
BMW has an image problem in this country so I was almost hoping to dislike this car, but it's very good. Despite its power it was very easy to drive, as happy in town as on A and B roads. Heavy rain made no difference to handling. Despite their complexity, the controls (including the I-drive) are intuitive. I liked the digital speed display on the windscreen; it's useful as it's so easy to accelerate over the speed limit. I'm not sure the gearbox is a successful combination of manual and automatic, but the paddles work well. I suspect I'd be quite happy with a lesser 5-series as the M5's potential cannot be realised on public roads - but then, that's hardly the point of it.

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