my530i

M5 passing at top gear takes 7+ seconds? What happen if driver shift back to 3rd or 2nd instead of staying in 6th?

EBMCS03

about 1 second.

dlevi67

For the gazillionth time - you cannot compare "in-gear" acceleration times between autos and manuals...

Though it would be nice if car magazines understood and/or used the manual mode of the autos when they run comparison tests.

BetterMakeWay

Yes but SMG in more manual than auto. Even i in the steptronic can run a test like that for passing in gear at low revs without making it change in lower gear or kickdown. Using manual mode for autos would be of course more appropriate but no less harder because if the pedal is rushed then kickdown is iminent. I for one am not sure about the test but it is VERY possible for the M5 to be the worst out of all cars out there in the class since it has low torque, and the gearing is innapropriate for such high gear tests.

wowe

Nice test That what I call to test at same conditions

dlevi67

That's my point - they are comparing two auto boxes with a manual. And I'm not even sure it's the SMG they are looking at, as there is now a manual option for the M5 in the US. (And BTW - the SMG is manual. Sequential Manual Gearbox - with an auto programme, but a manual nonetheless)

If the step/tip/seletronic is set to manual, it will not shift gear unless a) you push the kickdown switch, b) the car redlines, c) it goes too slow for the gear, no matter how quickly you press the accelerator. I would expect a professional car driver to be able to avoid a) (since you and I can perfectly well do it), b) is not an issue at the speeds involved and c) is resolved by selecting the highest gear that the gearbox control unit will allow at 30 mph and 50 mph.

Alternatively, rather than running these tests in top gear, run them through the gears.

I am sure that, even on a fair test, the M5 would not come top of the pile. Partly because of its own torque curve, partly because the torque converter on the S6 and the E63 will unlock even if the gear does not change, giving them somewhat of an advantage. However it will not result in a ridiculous and totally non-comparable result as it does now. The M5 is not 2 to 3 times slower at in-gear pickup.

sese

dlevi67

That ain't "in gear".

(plus the usual problems of: it's not the same driver, etc.)

Alex.br

The tested M5 is 6 speed manual. SMGIII have 7 gears! Look the trasmission data.

doug_999

It is a TOP Gear accelleration test. It is designed to show you how a car performs IN ITS TOP GEAR. Doesn't work with autos. The M5 tested was a manual and they hated it.