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With the amount we criticize modern BMW M cars, you'd think that we enjoy it. That we enjoy being angry when one of the makers of the original sports sedan creates something that doesn't live up to expectations. That's not the case at all. We know BMW M can do wonderful things. The last two cars with a CS badge on the trunk have knocked it out of the park.
The M2 CS is one of the most wonderful BMWs we've seen in years. Small, fast, serious but fun, it's the full package. It looks great too. Just a joy. And then BMW transferred that formula to the M5 with this, the M5 CS. It's a handsome thing, especially with the yellow accent lighting, the more aggressive hood and stance, and those wonderful wheels. It looks just as good as it drives.
It's weird to say this about a 627-hp sedan, but there's a purity to this M5 that's not seen in the rest of the range. Sure, the engine is a brute force monster, not as quick as something electric but so much more satisfying, but the rest of the car is a study in what just a little tuning and attention to detail can do to transform something.
That interior is wonderful. The center console having no storage seems to be an oversight, since this is still a family sedan, but the wonderful front buckets, stolen from the new M3, are supportive, comfortable, and look great, even if the little center piece can be annoying. The rear buckets are also fantastic, and a fun way to make your passengers feel involved as well as keep them in one place during a drift.
While the base and Competition spec M5s can feel distant, the CS is involving. Steering has actual feel and it's an easy thing to control when you get on the power just a little too early. Turn off the all-wheel drive and powerslides become the norm. It's really a fun thing, as IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand and I found out.
Travis is an editor at Road & Track. He was previously the Editor-in-Chief of Jalopnik.com and is a little too fond of the Mazda Miata.
