Can You Still Drive Like a Hooligan in the 2018 M5?

This reviewer puts BMW’s new super sedan through its paces at a classic Formula 1 circuit in Portugal.

Reviews of the revised 2018 BMW M5 have begun trickling out for a while now, and most reviewers have strived to answer the big question: Can an all-wheel-drive M5 perform like its traditional two-wheel-drive predecessors?

Carfection recently presented their opinion and, well, the host’s broad grin as he slides it around the Estoril Circuit in Portugal tells you all you need to know. Even with the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 powering the front wheels too, the newest M5 can clearly rip up a track.

By now, the car’s numbers should be etched in the brains of 5Series.net readers. The revised V8 makes 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission funnels that horsepower to two or four wheels, depending on the mode. With AWD selected, it should launch the car to 60 miles per hour in about 3.4 seconds.

The video also touches on the important bits of AWD-Sport mode. When hammering it on track, the AWD system exhibits enough rear bias to get the car sideways. Like the previous M5s, it still handles in a wonderfully controllable manner. So once again, BMW appears to have built a predictable, capable sport saloon.
 

Want more sideways 2018 M5 action? Check out this video.

 
When the power goes exclusively to the rear wheels, however, the M5 gets a bit more raucous. In this mode, those 600 ponies are far more eager pitch the car sideways. That means big, smoky drifts in an executive car. And that’s always been the appeal of an M5, hasn’t it? It’s a professional car that has fun when no one’s looking.

Of course, executive transport like this also necessitates comfort. For long slogs on the highway, the M5 effortlessly transforms into a comfy ride. So, this review answers a lot of questions, but none of it is terribly surprising. We already figured the new M5 would be great.