BMW M5 Touring | A Werewolf In Monaco

4 January 2021 Redazione News, Stories, Supercars Lounge

ICONS | A WEREWOLF IN MONACO

Words by Carlo Brema / Photos by BMW Group

Imagine a world where cars are not yet entirely seen as the worst of all evils, where emissions and sterile marketing data are not the first thought of a brand. In reality, we don’t have to embark for another galaxy or travel too far back in time, our destination dates 2005. In that year – and for the first time on a production car – BMW took a 5-liter V10 and stowed it under the hood of a sedan, two years later they did it with the Touring version, respectively creating the most powerful and fastest sedan and wagon the world had ever seen back then.

The E61 M5 Touring is much rarer than its sedan counterpart, partly because it was only distributed in Europe and partly because the production reached only 1,025 units, compared to a total of 20,548. It was also produced for only three years, until 2010, when the definitive stop was given. Ten years later, BMW has no longer produced an M5 Touring, preferring to take advantage of the increasingly presence of SUVs with the most varied petrol, diesel and hybrid performance versions. All this has done nothing but fueling the aura of mystery that revolves around a car that, even if it is 10 years old, seems to come from a world where the idea of driving involvement was triggered by a huge V10-cylinder capable of grounding the likes of 507 horsepower and 520 Nm of maximum torque on the rear axle. There’s a 7-speed automatic gearbox and the thrust is such as to put plenty of stress regarding the bite that the 285 inches tires have to apply on the asphalt, ignoring a mass that slightly exceeds 1,800 kg, the five occupants comfortably on board and the multitude of luggage that can be loaded at the back.

The one with the M5 – regardless of whether it is the sedan or the Touring – is a visceral experience, which without even needing to underline it mainly revolves around an engine that winks at the Sauber Formula 1 Team and which identifies absolute glory during acceleration. As with any self-respecting V10, it is immediately apparent that once the road allows it, increasing the pressure on the throttle will lead to a consequent increase in volume, where the bark of the 5.0 cc grows steadily until it reaches 7,750 rpm. In that very moment and with the maximum power delivered on a car that, except for the two pairs of tailpipes and sensibly sharper bumpers, still manages to pass unnoticed by most, you appreciate driving dynamics capable of satisfying even the most demanding drivers, above all thanks to the many customizable adjustments through the dedicated driving modes.

The werewolf of Munich is something unstoppable and combines an on-board technology still fine today, with a mechanics boasting much more violent inputs than those we are now used to. The M5 Touring claimed to sprint from 0 to 100 kph in about 4.7 seconds, but numerous tests on perfectly stock cars even scored 4.1 – a notable difference that still does not do justice to the loud pit in which you find yourself as you sink the gas to the floor and be pressed on the comfortable leather armchairs. After all, the cockpit is that of a 5 Series from the controversial Chris Bangle era, as well as almost all of the exterior and the fact of being a wolf (werewolf) in sheep clothes does nothing but accentuate the amazement one feels when you call into question the incredible power reserve always available under the bonnet.

Perhaps the aspect that makes this car so special is precisely the fact that it has lived for such a short time, almost in a dim light that has allowed it to reach only those who were really able to understand it. Not having had the opportunity to follow up on its legacy doesn’t make it just the last of its kind – the only other M5 Touring is based on the E34 series and produced from 1992 to 1996 with a 3.8-liter 340-horsepower 6-cylinder – but the point of arrival and also that of no return. A perfect estate for travel, for everyday life and for a curvy road with a V10 screaming to the point of awakening the dead could not have been perfected, but only changed and this would have distorted its meaning. These are strong emotions, the ones that squeeze your heart and loosen the grip only when the wolf has stopped hunting for curves. We would really like another car like this, but maybe it is right that certain myths remain where they are, to make those days that will never come back even greater.