What differences are there between these two sports super saloons? We roll out three magnificent cars onto our pages today for those in the know: the BMW M5 and the Mercedes CLS55.

BMW M5

A true sports saloon with outstanding features and practically ready for the circuit... Although with manual transmission, you can also use it to go out for an evening at the theater or a run to the dry cleaners. 

Mercedes CLS55 AMG

A special car for freeway driving, where it offers all the best possibilities on being the ideal place for high speeds... and where it is most responsive to the driver and three passengers. However, it doesn’t like tight bends very much. 

And you, which do you prefer?

 

 

Mercedes CLS 55 AMG

Independent of the sporting qualities of this 4-door coupe from the famous AMG production house, the CLS55 AMG is the most sensual car that Mercedes has produced to date. This statement, which derives from the tremendously sexy contours of this car, added to black, beige or silver gray colors, make it look marvelous so owners of this special automobile will be highly delighted with its beautiful silhouette for many years to come.

>From another point of view, we can also appreciate its dynamic qualities, which set it apart from its stable mate, the CLS500, thanks to its powerful 5.4 liter V8 24 valve SOHC supercharged and inter-cooled engine. This mighty power plant develops 469 HP at 6,100 rpm and a tremendous torque of 516 lb/ft at only 2,650 rpm, more than enough to compensate the ratios of its automatic transmission with manual mode from the controls on the steering wheel to catapult the Mercedes from a standstill to 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds; a very impressive for a saloon weighing almost two tons, which continues accelerating ferociously to turn in times of 9.8 seconds from 0 to 160 km/h and 24.9 seconds from 0 to 240 km/h, only to be sadly “detained” by and electronic speed limiter, which abruptly ends the speed-fest of this magnificent car.

 

 

However, this agility and performance, which are truly impressive, also apply to the braking power of the CLS55 AMG, thanks to its enormous discs, which are ventilated and perforated for improved heat dissipation and bring the car to a halt from 110 km/h in just 49 meters.

On the inside, the CLS55 is overwhelmingly seductive, thanks to its very elegant dashboard, accentuated with matte-finished burled walnut inserts, leather upholstery with Alcantara in the upper part of the backrests. The seats are really comfortable, offer great support and are highly adjustable and even have a massage function to “caress” the driver and front passenger to prevent the evitable numbness from sitting during long journeys, which is precisely the ‘forte’ of this powerful automobile.

 

 

 

 

BMW M5

What kind of car is the BMW M5? An apparently simple question; however, the answer begs another question: Is it a sports saloon or a Formula 1 car?

No matter how much the answer sounds ambiguous, it is both. It is the sports saloon with the highest level of features that BMW has EVER produced. The hard facts lead us to such radical affirmation: 500 horse power —100 h.p. per liter —, a torque of 383 lb/ft at 6,100 r.p.m., which means the power of an engine 15% bigger; the turnover of its V-10 liter normal aspirated engine, which develops its maximum power output at 7,750 r.p.m and the seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox transmission with gear shift levers on the steering wheel, which give as a result of 4.7  seconds for the traditional 0-100 km/h.

 

 

If we analyze all these elements and then we add the best power to weight ratio of a sports saloon of these proportions — even through the construction of the roof from synthetic material reinforced with carbon fiber (CFK), the aluminum internal chassis, hood and doors—,  the option of this different adjustments for the suspension, which vary from comfort, normal and sport; seven-speed auto-manual transmission adjustment to its most aggressive position, added to the power adjustment of 400 to 500 h.p. at the touch of a button in order to achieve the best lap times and voila, we have an authentic Formula 1 car.

Added to all this, the M5 spoils its driver with the options of adjusting the driver’s SEAT electronically to recline it in infinite positions, give it more or less width to the backrest, adjust the height and length, regulate the support surface for the muscles and of course, it even memorizes the positions.

It is simply a car that is beyond compare!

 

 

 

 

Text: Nahum Rabchinskey ± Photo: Cortesía de las marcas.