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Thunder Saloons: King of the Ring (BMW M5, MB E55, Audi RS6, Jaguar S-Type R, Lotus Carlton)
Road&Trek
It's been a good month to all of us here at Road&Trek, having participated the Nürburgring 24 hours for the second time and winning first in class. And Polyphony Digital's loan of Euro-Sports Sedans made us so happy that our editor actually went out and bought the Accord Euro R that we used for testing. It's quite nice to have something to go to the drive-thru in wherein the designated food jock doesn't have to reach over the driver to get the drinks.
Although we have an upcoming article on premium sports sedans (BMW's new 330i, the Infiniti G35 and the Volvo S60 T5, among others), we decided to see how generous PD was feeling, and asked for the fastest four doors they could get their hands on.
And since we still had a few free days at the inn we were staying in by the track, we planned to start our testing stint at the Ring itself.
This is what we got:
The Players
Audi RS6
Audi. Quattro. These two words have been linked since time immemorial and conjure images of two wheels through a snowbank, or of insane turbo road cars flashing sideways through the trees. Seems a shame that Audi, pioneer of the 4WD Rally car doesn't make them anymore. BUt then again, since they've gone on to making hugely powerful sports sedans and saloons, we can't complain. This particular variant is the current RS6. Twin turbos and AWD ought to make it a corker. It's an amazing car, menacing as Darth Vader, but something of an also-ran in the relentless Germanic horsepower race. Or is it? This we hope to find out.
BMW M5
A drool-worthy car, wrapped in a body that looks like it was shaped by a drooling madman. Bob loves the looks. The rest of us aren't so sure. But we definitely want one. This is über with a capital Ümlaut.
Lotus Carlton
Once the favorite Q-Ship for lawbreakers and carnappers everywhere, the Carlton has slipped into legend. Sure, there's no way to compare an Opel to any of these luxury boats, but it once held the title of the ultimate super saloon.
All PD could give us was a secondhand one, but try finding one of these 15-year old rep-mobiles in mint condition... and for sale. Since there were less than one thousand of these ever delivered, we're surprised at how many PD have for sale. Seems there's one of these at their used car lot every other week.
Mercedes E55
This car is the one most defined by its horsepower. At a time where 400hp was a big deal in luxury cars (read: the reign of the previous M5 -ed), Mercedes decided to simply leapfrog the competition. The power output seems a little mean now, compared to the 600+hp in some AMG products, but it's still crazy for a car meant to carry soft champagne-sniffing execs in the back seat.
The Playing field.
The Nurburgring is a long and complicated track with a long and complicated history of car races, broken cars, and broken drivers. Normally, driving cars with more horsepower and weight than is strictly sensible here would have you paying for a lot of broken ARMCO (and cars, you fool.-ed), but we're good drivers (who are you kidding?!? -ed). Test times reflect best of five to ten laps each. One set done by Bob, who is under strict orders to keep it neat and drive normally, the other, by yours truly.
For starters, though, we took the cars on a day trip to France, where we drove them on the Sarthé circuit to get some idea of how fast each would go. As the circuit was still being prepared for competition, the chicanes were not set up yet, giving us about four kilometers to stretch our legs down the main straight.
Sarthé
We drove the cars in reverse order of speed. PD again equipped each car with medium grade sports tires, a wise choice considering the nature of our test.
Track times are relatively worthless around here, as all else being equal, the fastest car will always finish first.
Lotus Carlton
Five corners into this course and I've already got a rhythm going with the car. It feels very old school rear-wheel drive and very light considering its power. Since we only have a short time on the track, I hit the corner before the main straight as fast as I can and lay it on down the stretch. The car bucks a little on the undulations, but doesn't do anything untoward. The engine and turbines are roaring in my ears, as the wind whistles by at ever faster speeds. I hit about 276 km/h before my braking point and stand on the brakes. Remarkably, the car slows down without much drama. The rest of the course is dealt with easily. I honestly can't believe this is a 15-year old car!
Talking with this car's handler, we asked what had been done to it. Turns out the chassis has already been stripped and re-welded and the engine refreshed, but nothing else. "No modifications?" we ask, noting that a simple chip upgrade should net about 450 hp from this car. "If you had a classic car", he told us, looking at us with a stern frown, "with an out of production computer box and NO spares available... would you risk some hack burning a hole in your ECU?"
Enough said, I guess.
Jaguar S-Type R
As compared to the Carlton, the Jaguar feels like it's on rails. The car dynamics are spot on, and body roll is nearly absent. Punting it down the main straight, I marvel at the speed of the crisp automatic and am tickled by the strangely jet-like whine of the supercharged engine. It feels like driving a business jet down the main straight. I hit 289 km/h before having to slow down. This car does the business.
Audi RS6
Strangely, the Audi doesn't feel so fast going around the bends before the main straight. It's understeery and heavy, and I wonder about the brakes. I point it down the main straight and all this is forgotten in the huge shove of the Audi twin turbos. A few minutes later, those roaring turbines have me at 295 km/h and the car is still accelerating. I hit 303 km/h at the slight bend before the braking area, and start braking right before the kink that leads into the 90 degree turn at the end of the main straight. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose, and the back end starts swaggering like a drunken sailor... I end up looking at the outside wall (???!!!) from ten feet away with the damndest expression on my face.
Later, it turns out that in disabling the speed limiter on this car, they disabled the ABS and stability controls, too. Add to that the fact that this is a relatively nose-heavy car... (and the fact that you didn't keep her in a strictly straight line -ed) I don't think I'll forget that experience quickly.
Mercedes E55 AMG
Okay, so now I'm paranoid, but I've got to know. I stomp on the brakes on the E55 going down the start/finish straight and the E55 plows to a shuddering halt, it's the only car here that does that, but it stops in a straight line. Good.
A few minutes later, I'm barrelling down the main straight again, caution to the wind. Unlike the Audi, this car pulls straight from one end of the rev meter to the other, the supercharger providing linear acceleration. It's thankfully not as whiny as the S-Type R or as loud as the RS6, but it lacks some drama. The power doesn't plateau at 290 like in the RS6, but it only gets up to 307 km/h on this stretch before I have to hit on the brakes. I don't make the last hairpin, but I don't really care, I'm stopped and I'm still on the road. I back the car up and get back on the racing line, thankful to be alive.
BMW M5
326 km/h. Take some time to digest that number. You're never going to get your road-going M5 to hit that, thanks to the speed limiter. And if you get the car de-limited and you do try that, well, I'll read about you in the papers... maybe in the Police Reports section, more likely in the Obits. It's not that the car can't handle this speed. It's just that I think no driver can. No matter how good he is. Unfortunately, the M5 will have every driver, no matter how ham-fisted he is, feel like God.
Where the Jaguar S-Type feels like a business jet, the M5 is like a Concorde. Gear swaps are F1 quick and completely seamless, and the engine revs like an electric. Hell, before I'm halfway down the straight, the car is going past the Merc's 305 km/h mark. It's so quick and nimble and stable under braking that I had to get out afterwards to look the car over and try lifting its bumpers to see if it really did weigh the regulation 1.7 tons. This car just shouldn't be physically possible. I'd personally like to shake the hand of the BMW Engineer who sold his soul to the Devil for this suspension. I reckon it was more than worth it.
Nurburgring (B-Spec at 3)
The next day we were assembled at the Nürburg pits in Germany. After yesterday's moment with the Audi, the PD boys were reluctant to hand me the keys to anything. Satisfied to take a rest, I gave Bob a pat on the back, the helmet and gloves, and an admonition to keep it sane, keep it safe. Here are the times (hand clocked, since this was only a shakedown) he came back with:
BMW M5 - 7:44
Mercedes E55 AMG - 8:01
Jaguar S-Type R - 8:10
Audi RS6 - 8:14
Lotus Carlton - 8:17
Bob's comments: I don't rightly know if it's that the Carlton and S-Type feel faster than they are, or if the RS6 feels slower, I just couldn't get to grips with the Audi (haha, Audi... grips... get it? nah, didn't think so -ed). The E55 is slow around here, and shouldn't be pushed around (or sideways -ed) so much, but it's not as slow as the Audi, and its acceleration AFTER the corners leaves everything else pretty much behind. The M5 is fast. Feels like a racing car!
The Audi handler complained that Bob was sandbagging his car. The Jaguar handler just snickered. I suggested some side by side comparisons were in order. And over a late afternoon snack of Bratwurst and Lager, we decided to run cars in tandem the next day. With the gloves off.
Nurburgring (A-Spec)
First up for tandem running were the Jaguar and the Audi. Which was a mistake, because, after the Flugplatz, Ed in the Audi couldn't even see my brake lights. So we instead paired up the Audi and the Carlton. And it was a definite race.
Carlton versus RS6
Feeling comfortable in the Carlton, I built up a sizeable lead, scurrying around corners, and throwing the car willy-nilly. At times on the track, I was so far ahead of the Audi that I almost forgot that Ed and I were supposed to be taking comparison notes.
The Lotus Carlton felt every bit the modern sports car. It rolled more than the others, but this body motion gave way to controllable drifts and powerslides. I was at times having so much fun that I often had to remind myself to get the tail back in and try to make as fast a time as possible. A few minutes later, I'd be sliding again... and loving it. Sliding at over 200 km/h at Schwendenkreuz was a blast.
Counterpoint: Editor Ed
The RS6 didn't give me any untoward surprises. I suppose Nick's drama with the brakes in France could be put down to some stupid driving. It felt heavy and understeered throughout much of the course. It was superbly stable through turns, but it couldn't make much headway against the Carlton. In fact, in first and second gear, it feels much slower than the Lotus. I finally caught up with Nick and passed him halfway down the back straight, saving SOME face for the Audi. But then again, how many racetracks have straights this long? The Audi is a definite autobahn stormer, but not much else. -ed
Results:
Audi RS6 - 7:54:380
Lotus Carlton - 7:57:004
Ed and I agree, that even though the Audi ultimately won (by a measly 3 seconds -ed), that this was a clear victory for the Carlton. In the hands of an experienced driver, this could run rings around the Audi on any real-world B road. Not that the Audi is not a capable car, it's just not a track car. The Audi handler said something about the overtake down the main straight, but Bob reminded him that the speed limiter was off. The handler conceded defeat, and sat nursing a beer at the cooler for the rest of the day. Poor boy.
S-Type R versus E55 AMG
This time Ed stuck me in the heavy E55, figuring to take revenge on me for the "kill" I scored on him with the Carlton. But surprise, surprise! The E55 managed to hold its own! Initially, the Merc lagged on the slow corners, taking just a bit more time around them than the Jag, but staying with the S-Type on many of the medium corners and pulling close on the straights. This game of cat and mouse lasted until Bergwerk... at which point, with a relatively straight road ahead of me, I aimed the Merc and pulled the trigger. Goodbye, Ed. (you bastard -ed). The E55 doesn't understeer like the RS6, it plows a furrow straight on down the road. Extremely predictable, the E55 nevertheless managed to snap its tail out a few degrees when hustled around bends, but was easy to bring back in line. Driving the E55 was easy. You point it, hold on, and brake maybe fifty meters sooner than anything else and wrestle it around. I often felt the wheels were going to tear off under braking, such was the vibration that came to me when slowing down from the kind of speeds possible in this car. The gearshift hunted for the right gear in some corners, second being too slow, and first creating tremendous wheelspin. I sorely missed the manual option, but I still had my hands full merely steering this thing.
Counterpoint: S-Type R
This is a terrific little car, but perhaps little isn't the right word for it, as it is about as big as anything else here, and at 1.8 tons, is heavier than the M5 by about 100 kilos. But little is how it feels as compared to anything else. It corners nearly flat and consistent, and where the Carlton might make a hooligan out of you, the calm and serene atmosphere of the S-Type's cabin, with its electric engine and amazing dynamics, turns you into the zen master of driving. While it is true that the big Mercedes walked away from us at Bergwerk, a few minutes later, we got tantalizingly close by Brünnchen, overtaking the E55 near the end, and then getting left behind again on the main straight.
If I were to take any one of these cars back to this track, I think this would be it. It's soft enough inside to go to sleep in, the automatic is smooth as butter, and the suspension tuning is spot on. I really don't mind the automatic bit. I felt I could have gone faster with a manual, but the automatic allows you to concentrate more on driving the right lines. -Ed
Results
(MT - therefore unofficial, as neither of these cars comes as MT in real life, fool)
Jaguar S-Type R - 7:46:565
Mercedes E55 AMG - 7:44:963
Results
(AT - NO gear-holding, though the Jag's sportmode should do something similar, we can't be sure... official)
Jaguar S-Type R - 7:50
Mercedes E55 AMG - 7:48
This was hard for us to decide. We liked both of these cars, and for different reasons. But in terms of on-road pace and ability, we'd have to give it to the Jaguar. Like the Audi, the Merc is a great autobahn stormer, but it's a little too big and heavy for a right run around the 'ring. Also, do more than one lap around the ring in the Merc, and the rear end gets worryingly loose. On merely moderately worn tires, the weight of that huge rear end can start to steer the car around. The Jaguar is more balanced, and is a finely honed track tool. Apparently, other Jag owners agree with our assessment, as we saw quite a few S-Types in attendance around the track in our week of testing. We didn't catch Jeremy Clarkson's favorite track dog, though, the S-Type diesel. Shame, it would've been a hoot to watch. (For once, I agree -ed)
BMW M5 versus... a popsicle stick!
No, actually, we had a pair of American sports cars at the track that day, being evaluated by staffers from another magazine. By offering them a trip in the back seat of the M5, we had them forking over the keys to a brand new Viper SRT-10. Bob's baseline run in the M5 and the time recorded by the other mag crew for the Viper were only six seconds apart, with the Viper leading. In the ensuing battle, we did a lot of hot-seat switching and dual trials to compare the two.
The M5
Much ado has been made of BMW's Formula 1 experience and how it relates to the M5. Well, until this test, I'd thought this all to be a lot of hogwash. BMW's V10 (a la F1, but then F1 is going V8 next year... haha! -ed) may make 100bhp per liter, but the M3 already makes up to 360 bhp on 3.2 liters of straight six, and that Double VANOS thingamajiggy is actually illegal in F1, as are all the electronic aids that the M5 comes crammed with. Suspension and handling-wise, the last M5 didn't have an F1 for reference, but was pretty good anyway. So, F1? I didn't think so.
One lap later, my attitude has changed. I honestly can't imagine how anything this big, this heavy, and on street tires, can hold a line the way this does. Cornering on rails? The Beemer corners like it's glued to the rails. It carries about 10-20kph more into the turns than any other saloon here. It is damn fast!
Counterpoint: The Viper
But it's not as fast as the Viper. THe Viper drives like a freight train, sounds like a freight train, and corners like one,too. Which means, good luck getting it to change direction, but once it does, it goes. The M5 keeps up around many of the medium speed corners and esses, seemingly much lighter and easier to change direction in, and certainly faster around certain slow turns. Unless the Viper driver takes a perfect line, the M5 driver will walk all over him, as the M5 feels more telepathic around the track. But bit by bit, the Viper starts to pull away, and though the big Beemer's acceleration feels a bit more urgent than the Viper's once into triple digit speeds, the Viper's colossal torque gives it more shove out of the corners it loses to the M5. The Viper's ever-present understeer requires you to think very hard about how to take each turn, but it gets the job done. -Ed
Results
BMW M5 - 7:22:557
Dodge Viper SRT 10 - 7:23:095
We all do a few laps in each car, driving the wheels off of them, and hanging on for dear life in the passenger seats. We all got a kick out of riding shotgun in the M5, but the most anybody got in the back seat was sick. Over the course of the day, we came to the realization that the Viper would only comprehensively destroy the M5 if there were a better driver in it. Even a moderately quicker driver in the M5 could trounce a merely quick driver in the Viper. While sub 7:30 times were devastatingly easy in the BMW, hard concentration and very precise driving are required to get the VIper to the same times.
The Viper should have everything going for it, a wide wheelbase, a low center of gravity, and 200 kilos less weight to lug around, but the M5 seriously dents its case, feeling lighter and faster than the Viper. But the Beemer has its issues, too. This car is so fast that by the time you've passed the limits of adhesion, you're going almost too fast to do anything about it. It's at these speeds that the Viper shines, feeling more planted than the BMW. The biggest hurdle in getting good lap times in the M5 is learning when enough is enough. Gravel scratches and grass clippings all over the bottom of the big Beemer attest to the fact that we were having perhaps too much fun.
With a better driver, the Viper ought to make 7:18...and the BMW around 7:21... but since this was us, this is all we got. These cars are both so quick that they can sort the real hands from the merely good drivers. We'd like to see in the future how close to the flat-seven mark an expert can get these two. (That's a challenge, right there! -ed)
Conclusion
So the BMW M5 is the most Über of the über-cars around Nüburg. You may have guessed that was coming, but the real winners in this test are the two British cars. The Jaguar is much more competitive with the other two Germans than the mere stats would suggest, and If Jaguar offered this in a manual (or at least a manu-matic -ed), it would run straight away from them. The Carlton is a revelation, and seriously makes us wish that we were Brits... and that it were ten or twelve years ago, when you could buy one of these cars brand new. This car is fun with a capital "F", as in "****, it's fast!". Either way, a good time was had by all, except perhaps the Audi handler, whose ego was forthrightly crushed, and the BMW handler, who was left to explain why yet another M5 press car was going home in less than pristine condition. BMW, believe us, it was worth it.
Previous Articles:
B-Spec Bob interview by Photographer/Contributor Ken
Mid-size Euro Sedan Comparison
Road&Trek
It's been a good month to all of us here at Road&Trek, having participated the Nürburgring 24 hours for the second time and winning first in class. And Polyphony Digital's loan of Euro-Sports Sedans made us so happy that our editor actually went out and bought the Accord Euro R that we used for testing. It's quite nice to have something to go to the drive-thru in wherein the designated food jock doesn't have to reach over the driver to get the drinks.
Although we have an upcoming article on premium sports sedans (BMW's new 330i, the Infiniti G35 and the Volvo S60 T5, among others), we decided to see how generous PD was feeling, and asked for the fastest four doors they could get their hands on.
And since we still had a few free days at the inn we were staying in by the track, we planned to start our testing stint at the Ring itself.
This is what we got:
The Players
Audi RS6
Audi. Quattro. These two words have been linked since time immemorial and conjure images of two wheels through a snowbank, or of insane turbo road cars flashing sideways through the trees. Seems a shame that Audi, pioneer of the 4WD Rally car doesn't make them anymore. BUt then again, since they've gone on to making hugely powerful sports sedans and saloons, we can't complain. This particular variant is the current RS6. Twin turbos and AWD ought to make it a corker. It's an amazing car, menacing as Darth Vader, but something of an also-ran in the relentless Germanic horsepower race. Or is it? This we hope to find out.
BMW M5
A drool-worthy car, wrapped in a body that looks like it was shaped by a drooling madman. Bob loves the looks. The rest of us aren't so sure. But we definitely want one. This is über with a capital Ümlaut.
Lotus Carlton
Once the favorite Q-Ship for lawbreakers and carnappers everywhere, the Carlton has slipped into legend. Sure, there's no way to compare an Opel to any of these luxury boats, but it once held the title of the ultimate super saloon.
All PD could give us was a secondhand one, but try finding one of these 15-year old rep-mobiles in mint condition... and for sale. Since there were less than one thousand of these ever delivered, we're surprised at how many PD have for sale. Seems there's one of these at their used car lot every other week.
Mercedes E55
This car is the one most defined by its horsepower. At a time where 400hp was a big deal in luxury cars (read: the reign of the previous M5 -ed), Mercedes decided to simply leapfrog the competition. The power output seems a little mean now, compared to the 600+hp in some AMG products, but it's still crazy for a car meant to carry soft champagne-sniffing execs in the back seat.
The Playing field.
The Nurburgring is a long and complicated track with a long and complicated history of car races, broken cars, and broken drivers. Normally, driving cars with more horsepower and weight than is strictly sensible here would have you paying for a lot of broken ARMCO (and cars, you fool.-ed), but we're good drivers (who are you kidding?!? -ed). Test times reflect best of five to ten laps each. One set done by Bob, who is under strict orders to keep it neat and drive normally, the other, by yours truly.
For starters, though, we took the cars on a day trip to France, where we drove them on the Sarthé circuit to get some idea of how fast each would go. As the circuit was still being prepared for competition, the chicanes were not set up yet, giving us about four kilometers to stretch our legs down the main straight.
Sarthé
We drove the cars in reverse order of speed. PD again equipped each car with medium grade sports tires, a wise choice considering the nature of our test.
Track times are relatively worthless around here, as all else being equal, the fastest car will always finish first.
Lotus Carlton
Five corners into this course and I've already got a rhythm going with the car. It feels very old school rear-wheel drive and very light considering its power. Since we only have a short time on the track, I hit the corner before the main straight as fast as I can and lay it on down the stretch. The car bucks a little on the undulations, but doesn't do anything untoward. The engine and turbines are roaring in my ears, as the wind whistles by at ever faster speeds. I hit about 276 km/h before my braking point and stand on the brakes. Remarkably, the car slows down without much drama. The rest of the course is dealt with easily. I honestly can't believe this is a 15-year old car!
Talking with this car's handler, we asked what had been done to it. Turns out the chassis has already been stripped and re-welded and the engine refreshed, but nothing else. "No modifications?" we ask, noting that a simple chip upgrade should net about 450 hp from this car. "If you had a classic car", he told us, looking at us with a stern frown, "with an out of production computer box and NO spares available... would you risk some hack burning a hole in your ECU?"
Enough said, I guess.
Jaguar S-Type R
As compared to the Carlton, the Jaguar feels like it's on rails. The car dynamics are spot on, and body roll is nearly absent. Punting it down the main straight, I marvel at the speed of the crisp automatic and am tickled by the strangely jet-like whine of the supercharged engine. It feels like driving a business jet down the main straight. I hit 289 km/h before having to slow down. This car does the business.
Audi RS6
Strangely, the Audi doesn't feel so fast going around the bends before the main straight. It's understeery and heavy, and I wonder about the brakes. I point it down the main straight and all this is forgotten in the huge shove of the Audi twin turbos. A few minutes later, those roaring turbines have me at 295 km/h and the car is still accelerating. I hit 303 km/h at the slight bend before the braking area, and start braking right before the kink that leads into the 90 degree turn at the end of the main straight. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose, and the back end starts swaggering like a drunken sailor... I end up looking at the outside wall (???!!!) from ten feet away with the damndest expression on my face.
Later, it turns out that in disabling the speed limiter on this car, they disabled the ABS and stability controls, too. Add to that the fact that this is a relatively nose-heavy car... (and the fact that you didn't keep her in a strictly straight line -ed) I don't think I'll forget that experience quickly.
Mercedes E55 AMG
Okay, so now I'm paranoid, but I've got to know. I stomp on the brakes on the E55 going down the start/finish straight and the E55 plows to a shuddering halt, it's the only car here that does that, but it stops in a straight line. Good.
A few minutes later, I'm barrelling down the main straight again, caution to the wind. Unlike the Audi, this car pulls straight from one end of the rev meter to the other, the supercharger providing linear acceleration. It's thankfully not as whiny as the S-Type R or as loud as the RS6, but it lacks some drama. The power doesn't plateau at 290 like in the RS6, but it only gets up to 307 km/h on this stretch before I have to hit on the brakes. I don't make the last hairpin, but I don't really care, I'm stopped and I'm still on the road. I back the car up and get back on the racing line, thankful to be alive.
BMW M5
326 km/h. Take some time to digest that number. You're never going to get your road-going M5 to hit that, thanks to the speed limiter. And if you get the car de-limited and you do try that, well, I'll read about you in the papers... maybe in the Police Reports section, more likely in the Obits. It's not that the car can't handle this speed. It's just that I think no driver can. No matter how good he is. Unfortunately, the M5 will have every driver, no matter how ham-fisted he is, feel like God.
Where the Jaguar S-Type feels like a business jet, the M5 is like a Concorde. Gear swaps are F1 quick and completely seamless, and the engine revs like an electric. Hell, before I'm halfway down the straight, the car is going past the Merc's 305 km/h mark. It's so quick and nimble and stable under braking that I had to get out afterwards to look the car over and try lifting its bumpers to see if it really did weigh the regulation 1.7 tons. This car just shouldn't be physically possible. I'd personally like to shake the hand of the BMW Engineer who sold his soul to the Devil for this suspension. I reckon it was more than worth it.
Nurburgring (B-Spec at 3)
The next day we were assembled at the Nürburg pits in Germany. After yesterday's moment with the Audi, the PD boys were reluctant to hand me the keys to anything. Satisfied to take a rest, I gave Bob a pat on the back, the helmet and gloves, and an admonition to keep it sane, keep it safe. Here are the times (hand clocked, since this was only a shakedown) he came back with:
BMW M5 - 7:44
Mercedes E55 AMG - 8:01
Jaguar S-Type R - 8:10
Audi RS6 - 8:14
Lotus Carlton - 8:17
Bob's comments: I don't rightly know if it's that the Carlton and S-Type feel faster than they are, or if the RS6 feels slower, I just couldn't get to grips with the Audi (haha, Audi... grips... get it? nah, didn't think so -ed). The E55 is slow around here, and shouldn't be pushed around (or sideways -ed) so much, but it's not as slow as the Audi, and its acceleration AFTER the corners leaves everything else pretty much behind. The M5 is fast. Feels like a racing car!
The Audi handler complained that Bob was sandbagging his car. The Jaguar handler just snickered. I suggested some side by side comparisons were in order. And over a late afternoon snack of Bratwurst and Lager, we decided to run cars in tandem the next day. With the gloves off.
Nurburgring (A-Spec)
First up for tandem running were the Jaguar and the Audi. Which was a mistake, because, after the Flugplatz, Ed in the Audi couldn't even see my brake lights. So we instead paired up the Audi and the Carlton. And it was a definite race.
Carlton versus RS6
Feeling comfortable in the Carlton, I built up a sizeable lead, scurrying around corners, and throwing the car willy-nilly. At times on the track, I was so far ahead of the Audi that I almost forgot that Ed and I were supposed to be taking comparison notes.
The Lotus Carlton felt every bit the modern sports car. It rolled more than the others, but this body motion gave way to controllable drifts and powerslides. I was at times having so much fun that I often had to remind myself to get the tail back in and try to make as fast a time as possible. A few minutes later, I'd be sliding again... and loving it. Sliding at over 200 km/h at Schwendenkreuz was a blast.
Counterpoint: Editor Ed
The RS6 didn't give me any untoward surprises. I suppose Nick's drama with the brakes in France could be put down to some stupid driving. It felt heavy and understeered throughout much of the course. It was superbly stable through turns, but it couldn't make much headway against the Carlton. In fact, in first and second gear, it feels much slower than the Lotus. I finally caught up with Nick and passed him halfway down the back straight, saving SOME face for the Audi. But then again, how many racetracks have straights this long? The Audi is a definite autobahn stormer, but not much else. -ed
Results:
Audi RS6 - 7:54:380
Lotus Carlton - 7:57:004
Ed and I agree, that even though the Audi ultimately won (by a measly 3 seconds -ed), that this was a clear victory for the Carlton. In the hands of an experienced driver, this could run rings around the Audi on any real-world B road. Not that the Audi is not a capable car, it's just not a track car. The Audi handler said something about the overtake down the main straight, but Bob reminded him that the speed limiter was off. The handler conceded defeat, and sat nursing a beer at the cooler for the rest of the day. Poor boy.
S-Type R versus E55 AMG
This time Ed stuck me in the heavy E55, figuring to take revenge on me for the "kill" I scored on him with the Carlton. But surprise, surprise! The E55 managed to hold its own! Initially, the Merc lagged on the slow corners, taking just a bit more time around them than the Jag, but staying with the S-Type on many of the medium corners and pulling close on the straights. This game of cat and mouse lasted until Bergwerk... at which point, with a relatively straight road ahead of me, I aimed the Merc and pulled the trigger. Goodbye, Ed. (you bastard -ed). The E55 doesn't understeer like the RS6, it plows a furrow straight on down the road. Extremely predictable, the E55 nevertheless managed to snap its tail out a few degrees when hustled around bends, but was easy to bring back in line. Driving the E55 was easy. You point it, hold on, and brake maybe fifty meters sooner than anything else and wrestle it around. I often felt the wheels were going to tear off under braking, such was the vibration that came to me when slowing down from the kind of speeds possible in this car. The gearshift hunted for the right gear in some corners, second being too slow, and first creating tremendous wheelspin. I sorely missed the manual option, but I still had my hands full merely steering this thing.
Counterpoint: S-Type R
This is a terrific little car, but perhaps little isn't the right word for it, as it is about as big as anything else here, and at 1.8 tons, is heavier than the M5 by about 100 kilos. But little is how it feels as compared to anything else. It corners nearly flat and consistent, and where the Carlton might make a hooligan out of you, the calm and serene atmosphere of the S-Type's cabin, with its electric engine and amazing dynamics, turns you into the zen master of driving. While it is true that the big Mercedes walked away from us at Bergwerk, a few minutes later, we got tantalizingly close by Brünnchen, overtaking the E55 near the end, and then getting left behind again on the main straight.
If I were to take any one of these cars back to this track, I think this would be it. It's soft enough inside to go to sleep in, the automatic is smooth as butter, and the suspension tuning is spot on. I really don't mind the automatic bit. I felt I could have gone faster with a manual, but the automatic allows you to concentrate more on driving the right lines. -Ed
Results
(MT - therefore unofficial, as neither of these cars comes as MT in real life, fool)
Jaguar S-Type R - 7:46:565
Mercedes E55 AMG - 7:44:963
Results
(AT - NO gear-holding, though the Jag's sportmode should do something similar, we can't be sure... official)
Jaguar S-Type R - 7:50
Mercedes E55 AMG - 7:48
This was hard for us to decide. We liked both of these cars, and for different reasons. But in terms of on-road pace and ability, we'd have to give it to the Jaguar. Like the Audi, the Merc is a great autobahn stormer, but it's a little too big and heavy for a right run around the 'ring. Also, do more than one lap around the ring in the Merc, and the rear end gets worryingly loose. On merely moderately worn tires, the weight of that huge rear end can start to steer the car around. The Jaguar is more balanced, and is a finely honed track tool. Apparently, other Jag owners agree with our assessment, as we saw quite a few S-Types in attendance around the track in our week of testing. We didn't catch Jeremy Clarkson's favorite track dog, though, the S-Type diesel. Shame, it would've been a hoot to watch. (For once, I agree -ed)
BMW M5 versus... a popsicle stick!
No, actually, we had a pair of American sports cars at the track that day, being evaluated by staffers from another magazine. By offering them a trip in the back seat of the M5, we had them forking over the keys to a brand new Viper SRT-10. Bob's baseline run in the M5 and the time recorded by the other mag crew for the Viper were only six seconds apart, with the Viper leading. In the ensuing battle, we did a lot of hot-seat switching and dual trials to compare the two.
The M5
Much ado has been made of BMW's Formula 1 experience and how it relates to the M5. Well, until this test, I'd thought this all to be a lot of hogwash. BMW's V10 (a la F1, but then F1 is going V8 next year... haha! -ed) may make 100bhp per liter, but the M3 already makes up to 360 bhp on 3.2 liters of straight six, and that Double VANOS thingamajiggy is actually illegal in F1, as are all the electronic aids that the M5 comes crammed with. Suspension and handling-wise, the last M5 didn't have an F1 for reference, but was pretty good anyway. So, F1? I didn't think so.
One lap later, my attitude has changed. I honestly can't imagine how anything this big, this heavy, and on street tires, can hold a line the way this does. Cornering on rails? The Beemer corners like it's glued to the rails. It carries about 10-20kph more into the turns than any other saloon here. It is damn fast!
Counterpoint: The Viper
But it's not as fast as the Viper. THe Viper drives like a freight train, sounds like a freight train, and corners like one,too. Which means, good luck getting it to change direction, but once it does, it goes. The M5 keeps up around many of the medium speed corners and esses, seemingly much lighter and easier to change direction in, and certainly faster around certain slow turns. Unless the Viper driver takes a perfect line, the M5 driver will walk all over him, as the M5 feels more telepathic around the track. But bit by bit, the Viper starts to pull away, and though the big Beemer's acceleration feels a bit more urgent than the Viper's once into triple digit speeds, the Viper's colossal torque gives it more shove out of the corners it loses to the M5. The Viper's ever-present understeer requires you to think very hard about how to take each turn, but it gets the job done. -Ed
Results
BMW M5 - 7:22:557
Dodge Viper SRT 10 - 7:23:095
We all do a few laps in each car, driving the wheels off of them, and hanging on for dear life in the passenger seats. We all got a kick out of riding shotgun in the M5, but the most anybody got in the back seat was sick. Over the course of the day, we came to the realization that the Viper would only comprehensively destroy the M5 if there were a better driver in it. Even a moderately quicker driver in the M5 could trounce a merely quick driver in the Viper. While sub 7:30 times were devastatingly easy in the BMW, hard concentration and very precise driving are required to get the VIper to the same times.
The Viper should have everything going for it, a wide wheelbase, a low center of gravity, and 200 kilos less weight to lug around, but the M5 seriously dents its case, feeling lighter and faster than the Viper. But the Beemer has its issues, too. This car is so fast that by the time you've passed the limits of adhesion, you're going almost too fast to do anything about it. It's at these speeds that the Viper shines, feeling more planted than the BMW. The biggest hurdle in getting good lap times in the M5 is learning when enough is enough. Gravel scratches and grass clippings all over the bottom of the big Beemer attest to the fact that we were having perhaps too much fun.
With a better driver, the Viper ought to make 7:18...and the BMW around 7:21... but since this was us, this is all we got. These cars are both so quick that they can sort the real hands from the merely good drivers. We'd like to see in the future how close to the flat-seven mark an expert can get these two. (That's a challenge, right there! -ed)
Conclusion
So the BMW M5 is the most Über of the über-cars around Nüburg. You may have guessed that was coming, but the real winners in this test are the two British cars. The Jaguar is much more competitive with the other two Germans than the mere stats would suggest, and If Jaguar offered this in a manual (or at least a manu-matic -ed), it would run straight away from them. The Carlton is a revelation, and seriously makes us wish that we were Brits... and that it were ten or twelve years ago, when you could buy one of these cars brand new. This car is fun with a capital "F", as in "****, it's fast!". Either way, a good time was had by all, except perhaps the Audi handler, whose ego was forthrightly crushed, and the BMW handler, who was left to explain why yet another M5 press car was going home in less than pristine condition. BMW, believe us, it was worth it.
Previous Articles:
B-Spec Bob interview by Photographer/Contributor Ken
Mid-size Euro Sedan Comparison
Made my day 👍
... thanks for the thread resurrection.
...yeah, right... 
the boost drops to 0 between 5-6k rpm's, which sucks. so much about so brillian 20 valve turbo engine.. 
