BMW M5 Competition (2017-2023) review

It’ll be a doddle to own. Such a big engine will be exceedingly understressed in day-to-day life, and while BMW claims mpg in the mid 20s, we reckon you’ll better it when you’re not waking up those turbos too much. Mind, expect the number to freefall when you do prod them into life. But forays into the orange and red bits of the rev counter will forever be stymied by pesky speed limits; away from an Autobahn this car does inevitably feel a bit caged. But then the 616bhp M5 Comp is far from the only culprit in that regard.

Should you spec that mega, 19 grand options package? ‘Sup to you. We’d probably resist, but the carbon-ceramic brakes (£7,995 as part of the M Pro Package with the 190mph limiter thrown in for free) are a must, while the £1,000 laserlights will come in handy when you inevitably slip out late at night to unleash this thing free of traffic. Remember the base price is now £107,520, and you’ll still need extra cash for some of the more exciting metallic paints. 

Need more convincing? We lived with a standard M5 in the Top Gear Garage for almost a year, pre-facelift. You can read how we got on with it right here.