The Ultimate Sedan

Most professionals like the idea of owning a sedan for everyday use. You can drive in it to your office, go shopping, visit the club etc. But if you want to hit the racetrack, go grand touring or just do some sporty driving, a sedan doesn’t fit into the picture. But if you want one car for all this, what do you drive? Do you still drive a sedan? If I had to answer this question, I would say yes. And the car I would be driving would be the BMW M5.

What is so special about this car? To start with, its a BMW sedan and its got all the comfort and refinement you expect from a BMW. But then, this is no ordinary BMW. The current BMW M5 is the world’s fastest production 4-door sedan with a top speed of 205mph, bettering cars like the Ferrari F50 (after an ECU modification to eliminate the factory programmed 250km/h limiter). Four generations of the M5 have appeared and all of then have been remarkable.

The first M5 made its debut at the 1984 Amsterdam Motor Show. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a sedan, but the overall performance of a sports car. Based on the E28 5-Series, it utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. The M5 was hand-built by Motorsport technicians and was the fastest production saloon (sedan) in the world. The next one, the E34 M5 was produced from 1988 to 1995. It was produced at BMW M GmbH in Garching, Germany and like the previous M5, was entirely hand-built and utilized the 535i chassis(E34). Assembly was done either by a single M employee or a team of M employees and generally took about two weeks. The engines were also built by hand by BMW M technicians. After this came the E39 M5. This was again the fastest factory line production sedan that time in the world. However, unlike previous M5s, this one was not hand-built at the BMW M GmbH factory; it was produced on the same assembly line as the normal E39 5-series at the Dingolfing factory in Germany.

Coming to the current M5(E60), its one hell of a sedan. On the outside, it may look like an ordinary 5series except for the M batch and the side vents but thats where the similarity ends. The M5 is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0 L BMW V10 engine(S85) redlining at 8250 RPM with a peak output of 507 PS (373 kW/500 bhp) and 383 ft-lbs of torque. Unlike some other BMW engines which utilize BMW’s variable valve timing system, the Valvetronic, to infinitely vary valve lift in order to eliminate the throttle plate, this engine has 1 individual throttle body per cylinder. This gives it quicker response. Other key features include a stiffened aluminum chassis and a 7-speed SMG III manual transmission.The V10 engine is a masterpiece. It is a 5-litre DOHC 40-valve double VANOS V10 engine It was inspired by BMW’s formula 1 racing division and shares many components and technology that powered the BMW Williams F1 cars. The transmission is another technical marvel. As I mentioned earlier, its a 7-speed sequential manual gearbox, a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal and an automatically operated clutch. The gearbox comes with F1 inspired peddle shifters. There is also a floor shifter present. The gearbox may also be operated in an automatic mode but this is not that well refined. Other F1 inspired technologies include launch control, dynamic stability control and the option of changing to the speed at which shifts are completed (there are 11 shift programs in total forming what BMW calls Drivelogic).

On the inside its got everything you expect from a mid-size luxury sedan and a lot more. Leather sports seat, a nice stereo unit, sat-nav, its all. It comes with the BMW iDrive system, a computer like system, which is used to control most secondary vehicle systems such as climate control, navigation and communication system etc. Another striking feature is a  “M” button on the steering wheel which offers access to three modes: P400 (limiting the engine to 400 hp for daily driving use), P500 (unleashes the full 507 hp) and P500 S (for full power and sharper throttle response). P400 is the default start-up mode, the P500 modes are preselected using i-Drive and then activated from P400 using the “M” button.

Performance is breathtaking, 0-100km/h takes 4.7 s. Top speed is 250 km/h (155 mph) with limiter; 330 km/h (205 mph) without it. Peak power of 507 PS (500.1 bhp/372.9 kW) comes at 7750 rpm. With peak torque of 520 nm (383 ft. lbs.) at 6100 rpm. Ride quality is remarkable. The M5 is not cheap and costs around £63,495 in the UK. But its surely worth every penny. Kudos to the M5, the ultimate sedan.   

Hachi Roku (ハチロク)

Great cars need not be expensive ultra high performance machines. Cars sold in large numbers can also be legendary. This fact has been illustrated cars such as the Mini Cooper, the Volkswagen Golf etc. A few months ago, I discovered one such car for which I developed a strong liking. Those who have watched the anime Initial D would know what car I am talking about. Its the Toyota Corolla Levin/Sprinter Trueno (AE86), a small, lightweight coupe introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla line-up.

The car, better known as Hachi Roku (86) in Japanese came in two models, Levin and Trueno, the difference being that the former had fixed head lights while the later had pop-up headlights. Minor bodywork changes were made in 1986 which resulted in different tail lights for both Levin and Trueno models. Two body shapes were available, a 2-door coupe as in the picture above and a 3-door liftback/hatchback (somewhat similar to the current Skoda Octavia’s hatch).

The AE86 was available with a fuel-injected 4-cylinder twin-cam 1587 cc 4A-GEU engine in Japan and Europe which was also used in the first-generation Toyota MR2 (AW11). This engine had a maximum power output of 130 PS (97 kW) and 103 ft·lbf (140 Nm) of torque in standard form. The AE86 came with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and later came with the option of an automatic. The 4A-GE engines used in the AE86 and AW11 were equipped with T-VIS (Toyota Variable Induction System). The AE86 had an optional Limited Slip Differential (LSD). In Japan, the AE86 was offered in GT-APEX or GTV trims as the Corolla Levin or Sprinter Trueno. The European model was known as Corolla GT and had fixed Levin style headlights. 

In North America, a modified 4A-GEC engine was used to comply with California emissions regulations. Power was rated at 112 bhp (84 kW), and 100 ft·lbf (136 Nm) of torque. This car was the Corolla GT-S. Another model, the Corolla SR5 used the 1587 cc 4A-C SOHC engine, did not have an optional LSD, and had rear drum brakes. All other AE-86 models used ventilated disc brakes and were equipped with a MacPherson strut style independent suspension at the front and a four-link live axle with coil springs for the rear. Stabilizer bars were present at both ends. The GT-S only came with a manual 5-speed transmission whereas the SR-5 was also offered with an automatic. All the models were front engined, rear wheel drive (FR). Due to its light weight, the car had a top speed of around 120mph (193kmph). 0-60 mph took around 8.5 seconds.

The AE86 has always been active in motorsports which is partly responsible for its popularity. When in production, it was popular in Group A and Group N racing, mostly rallying and circuit races. Even after the end of production, many teams continued to race with the 86. This appeal is mainly due to its light weight and front engined, rear wheel drive layout (FR), a feature absent in most newer lightweight coupes. It has competed in championships such as JGTC and many rally championships across Europe.

 The real reason for its popularity is its ability to drift. The car is popular among street racers in Japan and touge(mountain pass) racers around the world. Drift King Tsuchiya Keiichi, who popularised drifting, also used this car. It was AE86’s FR configuration that made it well suited for drifting. Currently the car is a mainstay of manny drift shows and competitions. In fact most of the D1GP drivers who have competed have owned an AE86 and the last two D1GP’s have been won by drivers with naturally aspirated 16-Valve AE86’s; the older, lower-powered Corolla outperforming much newer, faster cars such as the Altezza and Skyline. After the popularity of the anime and manga Initial D, the 86 has seen a revival due to increasing popularity of drifting and touge racing and is bound to become a classic.