Posts Tagged ‘M5’

Seeing 2011 out, welcoming 2012 in

Posted: December 29, 2011 in The Cars of Our Lives
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Like a brilliant and complex sunset, 2011 is slipping under the horizon. The end of another year provides time for reflection, for speculation on what the future may hold, and a re-commitment to not put off all those important things for another year. 2011 was kind of a crazy year what with all the local and global turmoil, the deposing of dictators, the ending of old wars and the starting of new ones.

2011 was a significant year for the automobile as well. It saw the untimely death of several beloved racing drivers, the birth of the new all-conquering BMW M5 and Lamborghini Aventador, one of the most exciting Formula1 seasons in recent memory, the rise of the American car companies as legitimate contenders, and the emergence of EVs as a legitimate path for the future of the car, to name just a few. 2011 was also a big year for Top Dead Center. Starting with a humble Genesis in February, the past few months running TDC has allowed me to do some great things like interview Travis Pastrana and lap Monticello Motor Club, meet fantastic new people and ride in my first Ferrari, develop my writing talents and have a perfectly legitimate excuse to be a card-carrying gearhead.

I wanted to take this time to not only pay tribute to the greatness that was 2011, but to take a look at all the exciting things coming down the road in 2012. Next month alone TDC will showcase an interview with a dirtbiking child prodigy, a feature on an amazing racing team with a focus on children’s charities, a photo extravaganza from the New England International Auto Show, and where in New Hampshire to crack the throttle wide open on your snowmobile. 2012 will also see TDC host an epic car show in conjunction with Guardian Angel Motorsports and New England Blast, and exciting new content from guest contributors.

For me personally, creating TDC has been a tremendously rewarding and challenging experience. Finding the personal discipline to write consistent content that is (hopefully) interesting and fun to read has been far more difficult than I originally thought, but seeing the consistent rise of visits to the site inspires me to dust off the keypad each week and put thoughts into words. It’s also surprisingly more meaningful than I had hoped to have people read your work, comment and post on it, and share it with others. It’s been an incredible experience and I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped me, whether it was providing story ideas, helping edit pieces, or smacking me upside the head when I made a mistake (which I need. Often.) Although it’s far from perfect and has a lot of growing to do, I am proud of what this site is, and is becoming. I certainly hope you’ll continue to visit here and not only support local journalism, but continue to fuel the dreams that propel you to your optimum combustion.

Here’s to another fantastic year!

- The D

Cars in the Wild

Posted: November 3, 2011 in Cars in the Wild
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In the great pantheon of super-saloons, there is one car that is responsible for giving rise to the entire segment. Ze Germans without a doubt make some of the world’s finest super-saloons, luxurious four door sedans that carry a velvet wrapped ballistic missile under the hood, topped with a dollop of technological whipped cream. Bahn-burners like the Audi RS6, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and Porsche Panamera Turbo all come to the fight with their own blend of power, luxury and special-ness, but they don’t carry the same heritage or brutality of this particular car. The rest of the world tries to compete as well: the Italians have the Maserati Quattroporte, the English have the Aston Martin Rapide, and the ‘Mericans have the Cadillac CTS-V. They are all excellent cars in their own right, but this car continues to stand above the rest. What is it? The BMW M5.

This particular iteration, the E60, is legendary in it’s own right, even if it was a flawed machine. It’s 5-liter V10 developed over 500 horsepower in “M” mode, would rev to a stratospheric 8,250 rpms, and had an exhaust howl that would send chills down your spine. Big vented brakes fill the 10-spoke wheels, and quad exhaust tips protrude from what is, quite frankly, a rather bulbous and unsightly rear end. Spotted at the Gold’s Gym in Manchester, this car’s owner plans on driving it through the winter (after fitting it with snow tires), which should make for an entertaining few months. Imagine sitting at a stoplight on an empty snow covered road, 500 horsepower at your disposal, and pinning it when the light turns green. Rooster tails, screaming engine, and zero forward progress would abound.

While Top Gear’s car reviews tend to be deeply biased an heavily opinionated, they do make for damn entertaining television, and every once in a while they seem to be spot on with a car’s character. Such is the case with Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the M5 from a few years back. Check out the two part video below on the E60, and enjoy Jezza at his finest.

So yes, while the gearbox is clunky, the sat nav woman is annoying, and it looks like it hit every branch of the ol’ ugly tree on the way down, it is an epic car with an epic, wailing, sonorous engine. To see what the next generation car will look like, grab a copy of the most recent Car & Driver magazine and check out the 2013 M5 that will be hitting our shores in the next year or so. In the meantime, be sure to look for this silver M5 whipping about on snowy Manchester roads this season, and wish you were behind the wheel.