As we’ve been getting sidetracked by the sudden appearance of the upcoming F90 M5 on the Nurburgring, we nearly forgot that the current BMW F10 M5 has yet to exit the stage. The guys from Vehicle Virgins are here to remind us of the powerful F10 M5 by putting together a short video, comparing it against its arch rival, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S.
On the power front, both cars are seemingly underrated by their manufacturers. However, the guys from Motor Trend did a comparison a while back and found that the Mercedes was actually making about 100 more horsepower than claimed at the crank, raising the total to about 670 HP.
Officially, the BMW has 560 HP and 501 lb-ft (680 Nm) of torque at its disposal, coming from a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The Mercedes on the other hand has a 5.5-liter twin-turbo engine making 585 HP and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque, and all-wheel drive at its disposal.
In terms of acceleration, due to the added grip of the AWD system, the Merc is faster to 100 km/h (62 mph) by a serious margin: 3.6 seconds versus 4.4 seconds. However, is that enough for the Benz to claim the crown?
The thing is, it seems everything is the same, as it always was. The E63 is the more luxurious, straightline bruiser while the M5 is the more driver focused car, even if it has less power. The question on everyone’s mind now is whether the same will be true once the new M5 comes out with its all-wheel drive system. We’ll just have to wait and see.
