2021 BMW M5 Saloon Review

BMW's most powerful car on the track at Mondello Park

Review

We recently visited Mondello Park in Kildare to test the most powerful BMW M car ever. It is of course the €241,000 BMW M5 CS, a special edition super saloon with 635 horsepower and 750Nm of torque from its 4.4-litre V8 engine. Is there a better place to take it for a drive than on the track at Mondello? We think not!

The M5 CS weighs in at around 70 kilos lighter than the M5 Competition, and to achieve these weight savings BMW has fitted it with carbon ceramic brakes as standard, lightweight gold 20-inch alloy wheels, the trademark carbon fibre roof and a stunning carbon fibre bonnet.

The 635hp 4.4-litre V8 engine powers the M5 CS from 0-100 km/h in 3.0 seconds, and its eight speed automatic feeds gears faster than you can comprehend. BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive makes the power manageable, esepcially through the tight turn, dips and rises of the National Circuit at Mondello Park. 

Stepping inside it’s obvious that you are sitting in something special, with CS logos on the dashboard, a gorgeous alcantara steering wheel with carbon fibre paddles and upgraded bucket seats. The rear seats are special too, with Nurburgring logos emblazoned on the headrests. 

Is the M5 CS the ultimate saloon car ever? Quite possibly, it is definitely all of the car that you could possibly ever want with incredible performance, good practicality and comfort for regular day to day driving.

As the world moves towards electrification, this could be the last M5 with a exclusively petrol-powered engine. Perhaps the next M5 will be a plug-in hybrid model, or even a fully electric. For now, we are in awe of the M5 CS, and what a fitting tribute it is to BMW’s M car legacy.

Car Tested: 2021 BMW M5 CS Saloon

Max Power: 635hp

Peak Torque: 750Nm

Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 3 seconds

Top speed: 304km/h

Fuel Economy: 25 Mpg

CO2 Emissions: 257 g/km

Price: €241,415