my530i

Yes. It was excerpted from C/D magazine, and the M5 they tested was manual. Other contenders (Audi and MBZ) can be in manual mode and kept in top gear. Does this proves that M5 torque for daily driving is too weak? Can replace current V10 with MBZ AMG 6.2L engine? In addition gas mileage in MBZ is much better. Hmm, weird.

dlevi67

It shows nothing at all. When are you going to drive daily at 30 mph in 6th? Or even at 50? A steptronic box would barely let you get into 6th at 50.

There is no way on Earth that the other two cars were in top gear and kept there, given the times they record. They were rolling, and then pushed into kickdown.

my530i

All E60 I have driven - both dealers and two of mine - already upshift to 6th when they're at around 45mph. I showed this to sales person and he was embarrassed. Try this, at around 45mph and when you hear the transmission upshift, more lever to DS and pull lever toward the back. It'll show you M6. Or start from stand still and count how many time transmission upshift. It should be 5 times.

If the test condition were the same which means that all Audi, MBZ and BMW are at the same gear, the M5 passing time (7 secs) is too slow compare other two. But, if Audi and MBZ were at top gear and kicked down to 3rd, that's a totally unfair comparion. In that case, M5 must be shifted back to 3rd and compare with others.
I hope it's second case.

dlevi67

As I said, it would barely let you get into 6th at 50. It also depends whether you are testing an I6 or a V8 (or a Diesel), as the overall gearing ratio in top gear is significantly different (about 10% between I6 and V8 petrol).

I will say it for the third time, then I'll stop. The C/D test is conducted with auto transmissions in kickdown, and manual transmission in the tallest gear the engine will hold at the starting speed (probably 5th for the 30 mph test). Therefore the results cannot be compared.

0700700

just some more data for a 55amg

MERCEDES-BENZ CLS55 AMG
Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door sedan
Price as tested: $94,839 (base price: $89,020)
Engine type: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 332 cu in, 5439cc
Power (SAE net): 469 bhp @ 6100 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 516 lb-ft @ 2650 rpm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transmission: 5-speed automatic with manumatic shifting
Wheelbase: 112.4 in
Length/width/height: 193.5/73.7/54.7 in
Curb weight: 4327 lb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.7 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 23.7 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 4.6 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 12.5 sec @ 115 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 157 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 163 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g
EPA fuel economy, city driving: 14 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 13 mpg

taken from
http://www.caranddriver.com/shortroadtests...-amg-page2.html

heezy545i

This is all basic stuff man. Have you not driven a manual transmission before?

Even if the audi and benz are in manual mode, the transmission will kickdown/downshift to a lower gear when you stomp on the gas. With a traditional manual/SMG, it will stay in top gear.

If you're still confused, check out other tests where they do top gear acceleration tests with manual transmission cars. You'll find similar results.

AC_S5

In fact that's the case with every auto gearbox out there with downshift function, you thought you are stuck in top gear as you didn't use the shifter to shift down, but in fact the auto box does it for you without you even noticing it.

dlevi67

If you are not noticing when an auto box is shifting down, you should not really be trying to drive all that fast.

At the very very least, the rev counter will move rather briskly. And so will the car. And your "bum dynamometer" - to use the happy frase from some other poster - should tell you that!

AC_S5

Auto box today are quite different from the old one, even the ones in our car is so smooth that you wouldn't even notice a downshift of 1 gear.

And have you ever driven one of those MB with the 7G tronic auto box, if you haven't just step by your local dealer before making a post. They are so smooth that you wouldn't even notice a downshift when you are in M mode.

The way they conduct these test are the following; put the car in the highest gear at the given speed (30mph) then floor it to 50mph without touching the gear lever.

With the exception of the manual gearbox in the M5 I say the autobox would downshift by itself in the other two car. The journalist wouldn't tell you that the car downshifted, but we all know what happen because that's the way the auto box will react as an auto will be an auto, is no manual.

dlevi67

I have driven a BMW with an auto box for the last 135000 miles. I know how smooth they can be. And I have been a passenger and a driver for quite a few miles in brand new Mercs, and I can easily feel when they downshift. The bottom part of your post has been covered and recovered in this thread at least 3 times by myself, plus a few other times by others. So, before you issue a flame, read the thread.

Re: not noticing that a car downshifts. No matter how smooth the box is, two things are going to happen: 1) the revs will rise, 2) the car will pick up more strongly. If a driver is not able to pick up those signals through his/her eyes and the seat of his/her pants, then he or she should do all of us a favour, and stick to the chaffeur-driven variety of car, as he/she is quite likely to be dangerous, especially if trying to go fast.