2022 BMW M5 CS has More Than 600 Reasons for Existing
CS is a well-coordinated package of hardware wrapped around the most powerful engine ever put in a BMW production car.
Right at the top of his review of the 2022 BMW M5 CS, PistonHeads host Dan Prosser asks, “Does the world really need a near two-ton four-door saloon car with 635 horsepower, a 0-62 time of three seconds dead and a £140,000 price tag?” He can’t think of who – or what – it was made for. But he’s glad the M5 CS exists.
In other words, the ultimate M5 is completely unnecessary. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Any car can get you from point A to point B. Even as far as performance cars go, you don’t need more than 600 horsepower to have fun. It’s clear the M5 CS doesn’t fill a need, so it had better satisfy a hell of a lot of desires. It does.
On a fundamental level, the M5 CS is the best of both worlds. Its carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) splitter, vented hood, roof, rear diffuser and other parts help it weigh in at 230 pounds lighter than the M5 Competition, although it’s still over the two-ton mark. BMW combines that with the increased output from the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, which is now 635 horsepower (627 in the U.S.) and 553 lb-ft of torque. As Prosser puts it, the enhanced S63 is “a complete animal.”
Prosser unleashes the beast on a combination of wet and dry curvy roads. Fortunately, it has the claws to match its roar. Like the more sedate M5s, the CS defaults to all-wheel drive, but can send its power through just the rear axle. Even on rain-soaked pavement, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber has no problem hooking. But those tires are made for dry roads and it shows. Prosser is gobsmacked by their confidence-inspiring performance, exclaiming, “The grip is outrageous.”
The M5 CS’s cabin can keep just as firm of a hold because it has the aggressive front seats you’ll find in other modern M cars. Instead of a bench seat in the second row, there’s another pair of racy buckets.
All of the changes BMW incorporated into the M5 CS made a significant impact. According to Prosser, it feels different from other M5s he’s tested. Whereas those felt more like barges, the CS can be flung into curves. In some ways, the M5 CS doesn’t even feel like an M5 at all. More than once, Prosser mentions it in the same sentence as the M3.
We haven’t even driven the M5 CS yet, but we feel the same way as Prosser. We’re glad it exists. Too bad it’s such a rare breed and won’t be around after the 2022 model year.
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