هضبة السيارات m5.

In a class of its own

Perfect manual transmission

Super car handling and braking

Pulse-raising V-10 power

Bland styling

Technology overload

S MG gearbox is rough

The high price of admission

Unlike the old spaghetti western that culminates in a Mexican standoff between the three antagonists, the 2009 BMW M5 encompasses each quality in a single package—good, bad, and ugly. The good of the 2009 M5 is its race-derived, 500-horsepower V-10 engine, making it BMW's fastest four-door, with a 0-60 time of just 4.5 seconds. The M5 also corners as if it's attached to the proverbial rails and brakes equally as hard as it accelerates.

The bad side of the 2009 M5 is the vehicle's overabundance of technology. BMW's semi-manual SMG transmission is only for fans of a truly harsh shift experience. The no-cost six-speed manual is a far better choice. It's a gem, with crisp throws, precise gates, perfectly arranged pedals, and surprisingly smooth clutch engagement. The technology that commands the suspension, steering, and throttle inputs offers a bewildering 279 combination's through an M Drive menu that can be linked to the steering wheel's M Drive button, which might as well be a panic button for users who can't figure it out. And finally, BMW's frustrating i Drive controller for audio, navigation, and climate settings needs its own manual.