627-HP BMW M5 CS Is Slower Than 617-HP M8 Competition

In the video shared by Auto Bild Sportscars, the M5 CS set a lap time of 1:32,38. That's nothing to sniff at as the CS was faster around the track than the likes of the Audi R8 V10 Performance and the McLaren 570S. That said, it's disappointing that the CS isn't quite the ultimate M car - at least in this setting and with the particular drivers involved - because theM8 Competition(down by 10 hp) achieved a time of 1:31,77. The M5 CS was barely quicker than the M4 Competition but over a second faster than the M5 Competition - the latter, of course, is an important distinction. In the test, the mightiest M5 reached 62 mph in 2.9 seconds.

Of course, we're splitting hairs here as the new M5 CS remains a great engineering feat. For a large luxury sedan to post these numbers is still amazing and to judge this car only on paper would bemissing the point. Its performance is made possible by that 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 lump which produces 627 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. The weight-saving measures include the removal of the rear center seat and, overall, the M5 CS is 230 pounds lighter than the M5 Competition, previously the most powerful member of the M5 family. As long as you don't attempt to chase down an M8 Competition at the Sachsenring, the CS is a towering achievement.