- 109,500
- 4,739 below average
- 16,999 great
- Orlando, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- 4,739 below average 109,500 black manual
2001 bmw m5 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. The benchmark for sports sedans. introductionafter a wait that must have been agonizing to lovers of the racy six-cylinder m3, bmw has finally engineered a high-performance v8 into the m5. And it has been racking up raves like no high-performance sedan in history. Along with the new flagship m5 for $69,400, there is the m3 built on the 3 series platform, which for 2001 will be getting a new 330-horsepower version of its 3. 2-liter inline six, price unannounced as yet. The m coupe 41,800) is that boxy little bugger that looks like all the weight is on the rear wheels, but in fact it has perfect 50-50 weight distribution. With 18-inch wheels, it doesn't appear to squat low to the ground and the fenders aren't visibly flared. There's a businesslike air dam with black mesh screening covering its generous openings, which draw great gulps of air for the brakes and 302-cubic-inch engine. Thick intake tubes flow from the big airbox on top of the engine, down and forward of the wheelwells. A special induction system with dual air cleaners and airflow meters and eight throttles feeds big wind to this heavy breather. The handsome ribbed valve covers are visible, at least, as is a badge on top that announces bmw mpower. Tell them how many liters of air per second the engine swallows, that'll impress 'em. the six-cd changer, connected to a digital sound system with 14 speakers, lives in the small trunk, in a compartment which also stores two quarts of oil-a racy touch that one hopes is more for effect than need. self-leveling xenon headlights offer state-of-the-art night visibility, and are accompanied by halogen foglights neatly tucked into the corners of small air dam openings under the headlights. Other important safety features include a reinforced passenger cage, and airbags galore: two-stage front airbags, side airbags for each door, and tube-like bags that drop from the headliner and prevent impact against the front windows. That wasn't easy, considering there is no spare at all; the size of the wheels and tires precludes one. That's what the roadside assistance program is for, to get towed to the nearest bmw dealer; all of them are required to stock at least one front and one rear m5 tire and wheel. Roadside assistance comes free with the car, but the cellphone doesn't. The navigation system has so many capabilities, explained in its own manual, that we didn't take the time to learn and critique the system; we spent every precious minute with this car driving it. The glowing orange redline is part of a cold-engine protection plan; when the engine is cold, the orange moves down to lower rpm. In winter it could be quite useful, but in summer it will be ignored. We fired up the m5 on a hot august afternoon, and two gentle miles later it was still telling us not to rev over 5100 rpm. Race car, indeed. driving impressionlet's start with the big, throbbing, heart of the car: its engine. At 302 cubic inches, the engine is not huge; but 21st century technology draws a heavy punch from a small package, so think of this 5. 0-liter v8 as really big. Acceleration from 0 to 60 in 4. 8 seconds; quarter mile in 13. 3 seconds at 108 mph; top speed electronically limited to 155 mph, which in sixth gear would be a casual 5200 rpm or so. the powerband is eminently comfortable and cruisable, thanks largely to bmw's vanos system of variable valve timing, which brings the massive torque down into the 3000 and even 2000 rpm range. It's a fun and personally powerful feeling: twitch out and hammer it, twitch in and back off the gas, done in seconds. The engine likes to work aggressively in the twisties at nearly 6000 rpm. An upshift at 6200 rpm is actually a short shift, and feels like it. We were so dazzled that we forgot to test the abs-like, the brakes are so good that the notion of a 'panic' stop never occurred to us. The front rotors are 13. 6 inches and the rear 12. 9, which says most of it. There is a sport mode, which tightens the recirculating ball steering (and quickens the throttl. Cruise Control✔ Power Seats✔ CD Changer✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Navigation System✔ Alloy Wheels
16,999 Orlando, FLOrlando, FL at autoshopper.com