2018 BMW Test Fest: The German Buffet
PALM SPRINGS, Calfornia – From a personal standpoint, a trip to Palm Springs in California to drive BMW M cars on Thermal raceway is a very exciting experience, especially for an automotive enthusiast. But when viewed from a journalistic approach, these events often prove to be hard to cover. There’s nothing particularly new to report, no product launch, no auto show with important unveilings. For a consumer seeking news about the automotive industry, there’s frankly not much to learn.
That being said, after ringing out Bavaria’s M cars on one of America’s hottest racetracks, I can attest that BMW’s Test Fest does indeed have a reason to exist. If you count yourself among the pessimistic type that believes BMW has lost its verve in recent years, I strongly suggest you keep reading.
The Freedom of Choice
Normally, media events follow a well-defined schedule, but not at Thermal. After a quick presentation, we, journalists and members of the media, were immediately thrown out into the open where a variety of programs were put at our disposal. Let’s not forget one of the largest mashup of vehicles I’ve ever laid eyes on. The goal? Simply have all these cars out there at our disposal for us to enjoy them at an absolutely fantastic location.
And what a lineup of cars! I mean, everything was there: MINI Cooper S’, BMW M cars, even the almighty 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom showed its face. Test Fest is essentially an enormous automotive buffet.
Of course, it was hard to resist the monumental lineup of M cars (M2, M3, M5) lined up in pit lane. I could have opted for some autocrossing aboard a stick-shift MINI Cooper S, or head out into the canyons in the Rolls. But I opted for the M cars.
Germany’s Hellcat
With 600 ponies lying underneath its hood and a titanic torque figure of 553 lb.-ft., a 0-100 km/h time of only 3.0 seconds and a quarter-mile time claimed by the carmaker in the high tens, it is totally acceptable to call the 2018 BMW M5 Germany’s musclecar.
For 2018, BMW has given its stealth missile several revisions, notably to its 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8, as well as the car’s overall weight. As a matter of fact, this one is eight pounds lighter than the car it replaces, despite the addition of all-wheel-drive. That’s right; for the first time since its inception, the BMW M5 sends its power to all four wheels. After all, with 600 horsepower under its nose, it would be difficult to control the thing with only two driven wheels. The M5’s only available gearbox is an eight-speed automatic.
At Thermal Raceway, the M5 proved extremely fast, especially in the straights. This is a heavy car, and the heft is easily felt, especially when switch-backing it through the chicane located just before entering pit lane. To my surprise, the M5 is not a hard car to drive, but rather feels like a large teddy bear due to all the available drive modes. Two M buttons are also available to tune suspension, engine mapping, transmission, steering, and drive wheels to your liking.
Looking for an M5 that’s both rear- and all-wheel drive? It’s now possible with the 2018 M5, as the M xDrive system includes a RWD mode.
So, while the M5’s performance is indeed highly impressive, the car remains, above all, a 5 Series, meaning it’s first and foremost a highly comfortable, spacious and luxurious sedan. In that respect, I admit to have been somewhat disappointed by its steering feel, which proved somewhat vague on centre. What’s more, the V8 sounds a tad too conservative, a bit muffled, even when activating the loud exhaust function.
Personally, I would have preferred a bit more character from the car, something a bit more immature such as, say, a Mercedes-AMG E 63 S. Granted, the M5 puts down mind-blowing numbers, but behind the wheel, except for extreme G forces, there’s nothing particularly exciting going on.
The Answer Lies a Few Numbers Down
Of course, everything is relative, and the M5 remains a fantastic track machine, arguably the best iteration of the beast. But at Thermal, it’s not the car that turned me on the most. It was the M2.
Equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, and squeezed between an M3 and a 340i in its own separate group, which were all fitted with three pedals, the M2 proved to be the most agile and fun-to-drive Bimmer out there on the track.
Actually, BMW’s pocket rocket reminds me of previous BMW M cars, notably the E46 M3 from the early 2000s. The M2 is a lighter car than a 3 or a 5 series, allowing it to be significantly more agile in the chicanes. Its engine screams louder. The throws of its manual transmission are short and precise, and the fact that the car is almost as wide as it is long, makes it a formidable athlete out there in the open. If the M5 represents where sports cars are heading in the future, the M2 is a throwback to BMW’s heritage, a friendly hello to the past.
One thing’s for certain, what I learned during my time in Cali was that even though BMW now sells more EVs and plug-in hybrids than any other luxury carmaker, and that its lineup is now composed of a total of six SUVs, it will still sell you ultimate driving machines.
For the skeptics out there, fear not. Whether you opt for 2 Series with a stick, or a highly sophisticated M5, I can assure you that the M flame is still very much lit up. I’d go as far as saying that it’s never been this bright.