Marketed as the most powerful full-fledged M car to date, the M5 CS sits at the pinnacle of the BMW M division’s lineup. The M5 CS launched in 2021 and is a four-seater track monster. So yes, you can tag along three of your friends or family members and give them a run for their lives at the end of your track sessions. The sixth-gen M5 (code-named F90) was launched in 2018, and the M5 CS is a post-LCI model with sharper looks, more power, and reduced weight compared to the standard M5 and the M5 Competition. But there are some quirks and features that differentiate the CS from the other two aforementioned cars. An esteemed automotive journalist and enthusiast, Doug DeMuro, will explain why the M5 CS is not your regular BMW.

Doug DeMuro has a distinctive way of reviewing cars, and in the M5 CS review, he describes how it is better than the already bonkers M5 Competition, which it replaces. The M5 CS is a $150,000 pure muscle car from Germany, and it will be the last pure ICE-powered M5 because a new generation M5 with a hybrid powertrain will possibly launch by 2025.

Being a high-performance version of the standard 5 Series, the M5 is already a beast of a sedan with 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. However, the M5 CS takes it to another level with an extra 27 ponies. Nevertheless, it’s powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, which is mated to an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox and drives all four wheels.

Doug emphasizes how BMW has managed to save weight for the M5 CS to be a much faster iteration of the pre-LCI M5 Competition. BMW claims the former is slightly over 200 pounds lighter than the outgoing M5 Competition. The M5 CS weighs 4,114 pounds, and all the weight savings add up to the on-road performance. The car can do 0-60 in under 2.9 seconds, but Doug DeMuro confirms that some testers have better 0-60 timing of 2.6 seconds, which is nothing surprising. German cars tend to over-deliver when it comes to performance. It is so much better than the M5 Competition in terms of performance, but that is not the only thing that stands out between the two.

The weight-saving formula goes hand-in-hand with the exterior design as well. The whole roof and the hood are made of carbon fiber. One thing that most BMW fans point out is the “regular” sized kidney grilles. Compared to the M3 and the M4, they look great. The LED DRLs project yellow lights to distinguish the M5 CS from the regular M5. Also, many Bronze accents are found on the exterior, such as the wheels, the fake air exhaust vents near the front fenders, the trim surrounding the grille, and the rear M5 CS branding.

The carbon fiber treatments do not stop there. The sports bucket seats have carbon fiber accents, which continue with the center console and parts of the dashboard. Gone are the luxurious 5 Series seats, which have been replaced by proper M seats - something that’s optional for the M3 and M4. Doug is surprised that the rear row has bucket seats similar to the front row. However, the arrangements of the bolstering indeed cancel out the middle seat, which makes the M5 CS a four-seater. The headrests of all four seats have the excellent Nürburgring map etched on them, just to remind the passengers that they are inside a superfast track weapon.

Doug took out the M5 CS for a spin on the highways and instantly loved how quick the acceleration was. However, he quickly judged the gearbox as it was not a dual-clutch automatic like the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS and the McLaren 765LT. Every torque converter automatic is a little slow to respond but helps cut the brutal shifts of the dual-clutch systems. Doug praises the customizability of the M5 CS, and he stated that the suspension can both be very stiff for optimal handling or can be left in Comfort mode, which will make you forget that you are in a track-focused car. He calls the M5 CS BMW’s Hellcat for the sheer thrill it offers. In the end, he declares the Doug Score for the M5 CS. It scores an impressive 72 out of 100, and is placed just below the Tesla Model S Plaid, which holds first place.

Source: Doug DeMuro via YouTube