Tested: The 2022 BMW M5 CS Punches Physics in the Mouth

• 627 hp + 553 lb-ft + all-wheel drive = 0-60 in 3.0 seconds
• 60-0 in 99.5 feet thanks to huge carbon-ceramic brakes
• Pulled 1.04 g on our skidpad

Fast as ****

Our test driver emerged from the cockpit of the M5 looking like he'd just seen a ghost. Turns out, even after testing cars like the Lamborghini Huracan, Shelby GT500, Porsche 911 GT3 and a Tesla Model S Plaid, the M5 CS still caught him off-guard. To the notes:

• 0-60 in 3.0 seconds (2.7 seconds with rollout)
• Quarter mile in 10.8 seconds at 127.5 mph

"Yeah, OK — we're just gonna sit here and pretend that a 3-second 0-60 time FROM A 4,100-POUND SEDAN is not such a big deal anymore. This thing is fast everywhere. Even just dropping it into drive and stomping on the gas (that's our key-up run — no launch control), the M5 will pretty much ditch anything else on the road. Power is immense and the gearing, especially in the lower gears, takes full advantage of the M5's surplus of all-wheel-drive traction. 100 mph is here before you know it and the transmission fires off shifts without much in the way of added drama. Not a fan of the backward-swinging tach, but the M5 essentially shifts very near redline in every gear. Using launch control (it's best to read the manual to set it up) unlocks seriously ferocious acceleration. The act of building turbo boost until the launch control is ready only adds to the drama. Stepping off the brake triggers one of the quickest runs to 60 mph I've ever driven. Even with all-wheel drive, there's a hint of wheelspin before the M5 just disappears down the track. As fast as the M5 in its key-up run, launch control makes all the difference, lopping off more than half a second from the 60 mph time while hitting the quarter mile six-tenths sooner at 4 mph faster. It's nearly as fast as a Lamborghini Huracan and Shelby GT500. It'll also hold four adults and a bunch of luggage. Crazy. This might be the V8's last stand, but I'm here for it."

Amen.

You're gonna want to secure your belongings

Even with the somewhat more tame (but still excellent) Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires in place of the CS' optional and more extreme Pirelli P Zero Corsas, this mega Bimmer still put up a mega fight against physics. Let's head to the stopping grounds first:

• 60-0 in 99.5 feet
• 1.04 g around our skidpad

"On the first run, the M5 was still getting heat into its carbon-ceramic brakes and tires, but it stopped very well with excellent control. After that, the M5 stopped just under or just over 100 feet from 60 every time. If the front tires were wider, or if it came with the optional Pirellis, it could probably have done a bit better. But as it is, the M5 offers exceptional confidence and stability. Stops are drama-free. Pedal feel is good and the M5 gets into the meat of its stopping power before you get to the halfway point of the stroke. These stops didn't faze it and I'm pretty sure a day at the track wouldn't either. Carbon-ceramic everything, please."

Now to the skidpad and handling loop. Seriously, you're gonna want to keep personal items to a minimum if you're gonna drive it hard.

"It's a good idea to make sure the tires have just a bit of heat in them before going for a run at the skidpad. Halfway through the first lap of the skidpad, the M5 took me for a bit of a wild ride and needed some serious steering correction to keep from spinning out. Welcome to the party! Once up to temp, hoo boy. Again, we can't just shrug our shoulders at the fact this is a 4,100-pound sedan pulling well over a G on the skidpad. Initial turn-in is quick, but the M5 offers no real steering feel and I find the weighting to be far too light even in the sportiest mode. It's the same story in the M3, M4 , X3 M and X4 M. Ugh. In short, BMW's steering feel kind of stinks these days. But that doesn't mean the M5 doesn't have some stick. Balance is excellent and the throttle is well tuned, offering precision and immediacy without being twitchy. It just takes some time, and a bit of trust, to confidently approach its limits.The ridiculous-looking seats do good work here too. The tires put up a good fight, but the somewhat narrow 255 section front tires overheat after a few laps and grip begins to taper off. Even then, the M5 fades into light understeer and lets you tidy things up with a light lift of the throttle. This car is seriously impressive. There's a Drift mode, but I wouldn't dare — not unless I had the space and three sets of spare tires. A monster. I'd love to see this thing just eating everything up on a track day."

We don't know who asked for a race-car version of the M5 in Bavaria, but we're glad they did.

Edmunds says

This might be BMW's last real run at massive non-electrified power, but we're not complaining. And while its asking price is nearly stratospheric, considering that BMW is only making around 1,000 of these supersedans and it's capable of demolishing just about anything else in your ZIP code, and doing so with the air conditioning on, we think it's not just a current collectible but a future classic as well.