[eddiehaug]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

[David Kunitz]

Definitely the type of video's I enjoy most

[AiredaleDad]

Has anyone seen anything like this for the 540?

[mattssi]

"It is an M car..."

Nope.

I do like the vid though.

[Neusser]

I usually enjoy engineering breakdowns, but this video is incredibly boring.

And EVs remain utter pigs.

[ToddRGuy]

Originally Posted by AiredaleDad

Has anyone seen anything like this for the 540?

The only one I've seen is a YouTube video by SavageGeese on the 530. They had it on the rack briefly but nothing as in depth as this.

[Bimmerfun82]

This helps me understand the safety and complexity of the engineering. Thanks for posting

[kmarei]

Wow I feel like a total geek
And I'm no fan of electric vehicles.
But that was very entertaining, I actually watched the entire video

I did chuckle when he said to keep unsprung weight to a minimum though

[thaalrasha]

For having done a test drive in it, it has 0 sportiness DNA in the handling (sure this can somewhat accelerate in a straight line like all EVs). Driver sits almost at SUV heights, the car leans in every corners and during acceleration and braking... Clearly doesn't like being thrown in a corner. This is just a cruiser... for short distances because the range is catastrophic.

[Tallest]

Originally Posted by thaalrasha

For having done a test drive in it, it has 0 sportiness DNA in the handling (sure this can somewhat accelerate in a straight line like all EVs). Driver sits almost at SUV heights, the car leans in every corners and during acceleration and braking... Clearly doesn't like being thrown in a corner. This is just a cruiser... for short distances because the range is catastrophic.

I had the exact same take from a test drive. My friend bought one as company car to replace previous generation 5 series, he said this car sucks in comparison for him. Oh well. I guess its big and safe..

[GOLFFRR]

pretty cool vid.

[moriluvatar]

I maintain that the G gen 3 of today is closer to the old 5, and the new 5 is a baby 7.

While I do now understand why the new 5 exists, and that it appeals to some folks ~ for things like emissions and gas tax, this car does not resemble the M5 of the previous few gens for all the reasons posted on this forum.

At least now the 3 is as big as the old 5 was, and with some small adjustments it's pretty darn close to perfect in imitating what it was.

I'm also getting pretty close to sure this is our last generation of manual transmissions. :-(

[Luca Riffer]

Interesting to see how much time, innovation, structural mass and $ are spent by OEM's to just "pass the crash test". It's no wonder cars weigh so much today . . . did consumers ask for this overkill? . . all of which is anti-performance, anti-efficiency, anti-economics. I am nostalgic for the days when a car buyer could assume some personal risk in seeking a car that was primarily performance-designed, not safety-designed. We have seen the enemy and it is the nanny state.

[Deho]

Originally Posted by thaalrasha

For having done a test drive in it, it has 0 sportiness DNA in the handling (sure this can somewhat accelerate in a straight line like all EVs). Driver sits almost at SUV heights, the car leans in every corners and during acceleration and braking... Clearly doesn't like being thrown in a corner. This is just a cruiser... for short distances because the range is catastrophic.

We are in the first generations of electric cars, so yeah, it's hard to create an EV with the driving dynamics of a good ICE sport car which is the result of decades of releases and refinement. Moreover most consumers don't ask for good driving dynamics. So if you love your ICE vehicle, hold on to it. Some good driving EVs are starting to emerge but it'll take a while to reduce their weight.

As for range it totally depends on where you live and where you travel. In my province the charging infrastructure is on point (cheap, numerous fast chargers in convenient places) but I know that in a lot of the US and in other regions the infrastructure is severely lacking. The range of the i5 isn't "catastrophic" at all when you get easy access to fast chargers on your way.

[Deho]

Originally Posted by Luca Riffer

Interesting to see how much time, innovation, structural mass and $ are spent by OEM's to just "pass the crash test". It's no wonder cars weigh so much today . . . did consumers ask for this overkill? . . all of which is anti-performance, anti-efficiency, anti-economics. I am nostalgic for the days when a car buyer could assume some personal risk in seeking a car that was primarily performance-designed, not safety-designed. We have seen the enemy and it is the nanny state.

Yeah, if consumers had a choice between a light "unsafe car" and a heavy "safer car", I know most car enthusiasts would choose the lighter car.

However think about it for a second: we collectively pay for people that are injured or die in car accidents. Even if you set aside the pain it causes to a family and a community to have one of its own severely injured or dead, it also causes a lot of economic costs that are paid at least in part by others and the government. Makes sense that to prevent a lot of suffering and healthcare costs governments want to make cars more secure.

[Hit_Apex]

Originally Posted by mattssi

"It is an M car..."

Nope.

I do like the vid though.

We don't have to like it, but it is what BMW say it is.

[thaalrasha]

Originally Posted by Deho

We are in the first generations of electric cars, so yeah, it's hard to create an EV with the driving dynamics of a good ICE sport car which is the result of decades of releases and refinement. Moreover most consumers don't ask for good driving dynamics. So if you love your ICE vehicle, hold on to it. Some good driving EVs are starting to emerge but it'll take a while to reduce their weight.

As for range it totally depends on where you live and where you travel. In my province the charging infrastructure is on point (cheap, numerous fast chargers in convenient places) but I know that in a lot of the US and in other regions the infrastructure is severely lacking. The range of the i5 isn't "catastrophic" at all when you get easy access to fast chargers on your way.

Fo sure not everyone wants sportiness, but this one is supposed to be an "M performance" model. There are others less powerful trim with better range that don't pretend to be sporty for the corresponding type of customers. The range on a full charge for my test drive was just over 300km (just below 200 miles). I also test drove a Tycan turbo s and that handled more like a sports car with twice the range...so it's not something impossible to do... The biggest culprit here is the BMW marketing misleading branding this car as an M product.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by thaalrasha

Fo sure not everyone wants sportiness, but this one is supposed to be an "M performance" model. There are others less powerful trim with better range that don't pretend to be sporty for the corresponding type of customers. The range on a full charge for my test drive was just over 300km (just below 200 miles). I also test drove a Tycan turbo s and that handled more like a sports car with twice the range...so it's not something impossible to do... The biggest culprit here is the BMW marketing misleading branding this car as an M product.

Been getting 270-280miles range for the last 8-9months of ownership, so agree, that the range isn’t catastrophic. My guess is that a car used on test drives where everyone wants to test out the acceleration is causing the algorithm to assume range is low.

I don’t think of this an electric M5 and have no desire to go to a track with it. It’s a very comfortable, powerful sports sedan. Anyone who imagines that this is meant to be an M5 though is just not paying any attention over the last year - this topic has been beaten to death here for a looooonnnnggggg time now.

[Scrapula]

Ditto, Richard. I’ve had my car for 7 months and see about 280 miles. It only drops down to 240-250 when it is freezing outside. My son’s ICE car has less range on a full tank.

The car has been perfect for me. Commuting, running errands, and even on a BMW CCA ride through twisty back roads. Most others had true M cars and I had no trouble taking corners at the same speed. I would never track the car, though. It’s a sedan and drives like a sedan.

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by Deho

We are in the first generations of electric cars, so yeah, it's hard to create an EV with the driving dynamics of a good ICE sport car which is the result of decades of releases and refinement. Moreover most consumers don't ask for good driving dynamics. So if you love your ICE vehicle, hold on to it. Some good driving EVs are starting to emerge but it'll take a while to reduce their weight.

As for range it totally depends on where you live and where you travel. In my province the charging infrastructure is on point (cheap, numerous fast chargers in convenient places) but I know that in a lot of the US and in other regions the infrastructure is severely lacking. The range of the i5 isn't "catastrophic" at all when you get easy access to fast chargers on your way.

It’s helpful to add that all EVs with the current generation batteries are interim designs and have a short life. The solid state batteries are on the horizon. Leasing an EV makes the only sense.

[ToddRGuy]

The comments regarding the vehicles weight and "over engineering" of its structural integrity are an interesting dynamic. The affects on the driving dynamics of the G60, are likely noticeable to discerning enthusiasts. The 2023 M5 weighs 4,345 to the M60's 5225.

I can understand the over engineering though. While there are consumers out there that are "willing to take the risk" for performance over the bolstered structural integrity, BMW is not. This is their first-generation BEV 5 series, and they are not taking any chances with battery pack explosions, or any other scenario they can insulate the vehicle from in a catastrophic event, and the subsequent class action lawsuit that would follow. Until such a time that BEV technology can take weight back in the other direction, I do not see this aspect of them improving.

[overcooked]

I am not going to buy an EV until it can be fully charged in 3 mins like a gas car. Life is short and I am not wasting time on useless things like waiting for the car to charge.