Deep Singh

Anyone read this in Autocar?

Beats it for speed,handling and value.

Given an unlimited budget we'd all have a Fezza of course, but thats no mean feat by BMW.

Does this mean that the upcoming 400BHP M3 will outspeed/outhandle a 997?

Deep

stilover

I Know which car keys I'd rather throw down on the kitchen table on a nite time.
I have'nt read it, but I find it hard to believe that an M5 is better at handling than the F430. The F430 weight 1435kg with proper sorted suspension for fast driving. A M5 weighs 1830kg. No way can that amount of weight out handle the Fezza.
Would be shocked if it did.

Maybe the Jurno, just likes his BM's and hates Ferrari. Just like 5th Gear giving cars away. The one car the manufacturer has given them, is the car that wins, no matter what.

16vmarc

Youd rather have a Fiesta

Deep Singh

[QUOTE=stilover]I Know which car keys I'd rather throw down on the kitchen table on a nite time.

Do you and your mates chuck them into a bowl by any chance?

MooseRacer

I've read it, and wasn't impressed. No independant performance figures, just a subjective opinion from one journalist.

Deep Singh

Agree. Thats how the sell the next issue when they do measure the numbers. And then the next issue when the compare them around a track etc

Load of tosh these mags

gavctr

Im driving the new M5 on Saturday so ill let ya know what its like :-)

slim_boy_fat

Autocar is a crap mag, wouldnt take any note of whats written in it.

No doubt the M5 is awsome but come on. The F430 is possibly one of the all time great cars.

Old_Fart

I personally think that, regardless of the outright performance/handling, when you are considering spending £40k plus on a car you can't ignore the fact other factors like pedigree, image and frankly personal preference sway your decision. Lets face it, the big boy Evo has been shown to outgun Lambo's, the supercharged ariel atom is virtually the fastest car on the top gear test track, the Noble and the Exige are incredible track cars, the Boxster 'S' set a new record for Car& Drivers slalom test, beating the Enzo. Personally I find the M5 one of the uglier cars on the road, and unless it was Impreza money I have no interest. THe M3 has arguably been as good a car as the C2 911 for years, and costs £20k less, but again I just don't 'get' BMW, I've never aspired to owning one, and I just couldn't dream of spending £40k on one, though I'd happily spend a lot more on a car *cough/blush*
The CSL is different, it has 'something' special, probably the noise and exclusiveness, but I don't like flappy paddles...driving our DSG Audi made me realise how much I prefer a manual no matter how good the paddle shift is.
Regarding these 2 cars, well frankly I'd have neither. The F355 is still the Ferrari as far as I'm concerned (or the F40 if more money was available) and the M5...I'd rather have an Audi A6 and an Elise.
Cman

DarkStar66

Someone at Autocar thinking the sun shines out of BMWs @rse?

Surely not.....again!!!!

The Zohan

I have driven a couple of 430's
A spider manual (gearbox was notchy and tight so not good) and a tin top with flappy paddles with 2K miles on the clock.

The flappy paddle gearbox was a dream when set in 'Race' mode, fecking fast and the handling was astounding. Could be used as an everyday car IMHO. Docile when required and a beast when in the mood.

Not driven an M5 but if the m5 is faster then it it must be fecking fast.

430 was one of the best drives of my life.

sti-04!!

Would rather have my 996 GT3

Deep Singh

Does'nt really make any sense since you do have your GT3. Unless you d'ont in which case its not your GT3.

Personally though, I'd rather have a 430 than any standard Porsche(if money were no object etc)

sti-04!!

Tbh i seen a 430 in the flesh & like it but well ................... its all down to how much we are willing to spend

Just enjoying & still learning about the GT

Gidney&Knowlesy

M5 great car for 4 people,

F430 fantastic car for just one person

Deep Singh

Knowsley, who the hell is Gidney?

jeremy

Autocar and Steven Sutcliffe (chris Harris as well) are just plain simple minded. Sure you can make the BMW go faster on the bumby roads of Wales. However this is mainly due to a cars wheel travel. Put a Impreza type 25 into the mix and the M5 would be matched through the curves and beaten in the wet.

Writing for auto rags (not journals) requires only that you are a reasonably good driver and nothing more. Someone should publish an auto journal written by people with abstract cognitive skill as well as hand/eye coordination/depth perception.

Gav

I saw my first F430 today and i must say it was the sexiest thing i've ever seen! My previous favorite was the Challenge Stradale but the 430 just blows it out the water on looks It came up behind me tonight on the M6, a red one, an of course i just had to move to one side and let it go past, the guy looked at me gave me a nod and booted it. The noise was just **** and i couldnt help but shout out "oh my god thats awesome". I'm going to my local Ferrari dealer to have a closer look tomorrow

Gav..

RAJ27

Yep saw one today on the M25 this afternoon. A red one with a tiny mid 40s blonde haired woman driving. Didn't have any plates, so assumed it was on a test drive.

Looked like a junior Enzo. Makes the 360 look very very ordinary.

Going back to the BMW debate. I own a 530i sport ok it's a E39, but it is a great all round car. For a 4 door saloon the new M5 is a great accomplishment considering that it's been developed by a mainstream manufacturer. To sit five people in comfort with space for luggage and toys and chuck out 507bhp from a normally aspirated engine is a feat of engineering.

IMHO the Autocar debate is a bit unfair considering they are two very different cars. I think a fairer comparision would have been the F430 vs Lambo Murcielago and the M5 vs. Audi RS6 OR Masarati Quattrope (sorry if spelling is incorrect) OR E55 AMG?

Jay

zoog

The article says the M5 is faster going by their "test" on the M4, but on the same page the performance figures are listed side by side and dthe 430 crushes the M5 in every department...go figure.

hades

Just a thought to play devils advocate for a moment. How many people posting on here have driven both an F430 and an M5? Without having done so, I'd suggest it's difficult to either support or deny the magazines opinion.

Not arguing that owning a Ferrari sounds more impressive than owning a BMW, and that the F430 is more attractive, but unless/until I drive them both, I'm not qualified to say any more.

Veracocha

Common sense tells you that a car with 50bhp/ton more than another one will be faster when flat out and proper use of the gears is made.

Also pure physics will tell you that with the hefty 400kg extra the M5 lugs around, their comments about going harder and gripping harder are somewhat suspicious - I'm not saying that the M5 isn't faster but I am saying it is extremely strange if it is.

BOBBY G

M5 Wins.
Dry them.

SKYMAN

Drove a new M5 two weeks ago...........opinion.............most would be hard pressed to say one way or the other. The M5 is massively fast..........a level of self-assured speed and presence that a Scooby owner can only dream of. Not much in it between M5 and the 430 (not dirven one) I would think.

Deep Singh

What does that mean????????????????

Mungo

Sutcliffe and Harris are both pretty decent drivers - certainly well enough qualified on that front to write for any mag. I think what's actually being brought into question is there impartiality in the quest for circulation figures.

I was slightly confused about the apparent mis-match between the article and the accompanying performance stats. There was also a throwaway comment about the 430 not feeling as quick as the one they'd driven in Italy. I suspected that the one they were testing here was something of a dud, as something didn't stack up.

On the other hand, as a certain M.Schumacher's Ferrari keeps being whooped by a lowly Renault, it does seem wholely possible that a BMW can beat a Ferrari too!

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

I go past the Ferrari garage in Sutton Coldfield everyday, Everytime I drive past I nearly end up crashing into the car in front, Not watching where I am going and drooling over the new Ferrari F430 which they have a few of outside.

BOBBY G

stop bubbling.

Deep Singh

Saw the M5 at the dealership when test driving the CSL today. It is fugly, plain and simple. Does'nt matter how good it is, a car costing £70k should'nt look weird and have you saying ' I know it does'nt look good but goes really well'

btw the demo was for sale £67k if anyones interested

Deep Singh

What does that mean?????????