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![New BMW M5 CS [F90] (2021 - 2021) review](https://ssl.caranddriving.com/f2/images/used/big/bmwm5cs2021to2021.jpg)
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Back in 2021, BMW's F90 M5 CS was the most powerful BMW M car ever, with 635hp, a rest to sixty time of just 3.0s and a top speed of 189mph. You'd really need track day membership to justify ownership of this super saloon - and justify its huge price tag - but if you're brave enough to push this V8 powerhouse to its ultimate limit, you won't be disappointed.
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Detailed ratings
Performance Sporting Cars
History
It must have been quite a challenge for BMW to make their F90 M5 Competition super saloon even more focused - but that's what we got in 2021 with this car, the M5 CS. 'CS' originally stood on BMWs for either 'Club Sport' or 'Competition Sport' and the Bavarian marque has used this badge in recent years to identify various even faster versions of its full-M models - usually M3s and M4s. The result has tended to be machines really most suited to the track, but BMW assured us that this M5's remit as an uber-capable road car was retained here.
In CS form, it got a smaller weight reduction - and an even smaller power hike - but a range of detail engineering changes will please enthusiasts, particularly those looking to take this car on track. Launched in 2021, it sold out within the year.
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What you get
A range of little details marked this F90 M5 CS apart from its M5 Competition stablemate. The bonnet is made entirely from lightweight CFRP (CarbonFibre Reinforced Plastic). And enthusiasts will pick up that the kidney grille, with its CS badge, has a surround finished in Gold Bronze. There are yellow laser lights and front splitter is taken from the BMW M8, as are the exterior mirror caps. The M gills on the front wings get more Gold Bronze, a finish which also features on the 20-inch M forged Y-speed wheels.
At the back, the rear spoiler on the boot lid and the rear diffuser are both also made from CFRP. There's another M5 CS badge, but the Bavarian cognescenti won't need that to identify this model, having clocked this top variant's bespoke sports exhaust system, with its Gold Bronze-accented quartet of stainless-steel tailpipes.
Step inside and you'll find that the interior layout with its DTM-style red-edged M Carbon bucket-style seats is exclusive to the CS model. These chairs feature fine-grain Merino leather black upholstery with eye-catching contrasting panels and decorative stitching in Mugello Red, while the outline of the legendary Nurburgring circuit imprinted on the head restraints is a reminder of the car's sporting potential.
The rim of the M Alcantara steering wheel is wrapped in the race-derived material from which it takes its name, while its centre-marker perforation with red background is another classic race car influence. The gearshift paddles are made from carbon fibre, the gearstick gets red trimming and the steering wheel spokes have Black Chrome trim. Elsewhere, Alcantara is also used for the headliner. In the rear, you get exclusive individual seats, which won't please family enthusiasts, but go with the whole performance vibe. A CS badge fills the centre space where the useful middle seat would usually be. There's a lower compartment between the chairs. As usual in an M5, there's a fraction less leg and knee space than you'd get in a rival Mercedes-AMG E 63 or Audi RS 6, but the differences aren't very great and this BMW betters these two rivals when it comes to ceiling height.
The luggage area is 530-litres in size. Loading up a couple of large suitcases is easy with little intrusion from the wheel arches or suspension and there are four securing hooks to tie down loads safely. Unlike in an ordinary M5, you can't push forward the rear seat backs to extend the cargo area.
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What to look for
Most of the F90 M5 buyers in our ownership survey were very happy with their cars. The maintenance schedule is every year or 10,000 miles for an oil change. You'll need a new cabin air filter every 20,000 miles (or every other oil change); and every 30,000 miles (or every third oil change), you'll need to change the spark plugs and engine air filter. Every 50,000 miles (or every fifth oil change), you'll need to change the diff fluid. The oxygen sensor needs changing at 150,000 miles.
Other than that, it's just the usual issues to address with a 5 Series from this era. Check all the electrical features work as they're supposed to. Make sure there are no parking scrapes on the alloy wheels as these will be pricey to put right. And as usual, insist on a fully stamped-up service record.
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Replacement parts
(approx prices based on a 2020 M5 CS ex VAT -autodoc.co.uk) An air filter costs in the £13 to £58 bracket. An oil filter costs around £7-£12. Fuel filter prices vary widely - you can pay up to around £76, depending on brand. Cabin filters sit mainly in the £13-£55 bracket. Front brake pads sit in the £34-£78 bracket for a set; for rears, it's around £23-£75. Brake discs can be very expensive; we came across an SHW Performance front steel disc at £377; rear discs tended to be in the £139-£313 bracket.
If you have to replace one of the 20-inch wheels or the tyres, it'll be pricey. We looked at paddock-performance.co.uk. For instance, an Apex VS-5RS Forged Alloy rim in Satin Bronze costs £743. You might want to invest in a set of tyres for track days; a Nankang CR-S Semi-Slick track tyre (200TW) costs £175.
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On the road
This M5 CS costs significantly more than a standard M5 Competition, so what do you get that's different? Well, the most powerful engine that BMW made back in 2021 for a start, this 4.4-litre V8 developing 635hp, so 62mph from rest takes 3.0s on the way to 189mph. Mind you, that's not much different to what you get with the standard M5 Competition of this period (625hp, 62mph from rest in 3.3s and a limited top speed of 155mph). The Drivelogic-equipped M Steptronic 8-speed paddleshift auto transmission wasn't much changed either.
But BMW reckoned you needed to drill down into the detail here. The CS features a seven-millimetre drop in ride height compared to the standard model, plus it's 70kgs lighter and gets shock absorbers developed for the BMW M8 Gran Coupe. These reduce fluctuation in wheel loads, greatly improving on-the-limit handling. The bearing springs at the front and rear axle of the M5 CS were retuned and damper control was refined in keeping with the lower vehicle weight and the bespoke Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres' increased performance potential.
We should also tell you that the engine mounts got an upgraded spring rating, while the V8 itself got optimised turbochargers and had maximum injection pressure of 350 bar for shorter injection times and improved atomisation of fuel. More importantly, if you've petrol running through your veins, you'll find that this twin turbo engine plays an addictive tune through its M Sport-tuned tail pipes.
As in a normal M5 Competition, you can tailor the M xDrive 4WD system to your preference - via '4WD' and '4WD Sport' - or a '2WD' mode for pure rear wheel drive and circuit drifting. And of course there's the usual 'M-configuration' that allows you to alter stability settings, engine response, suspension and steering feel, with red wheel-mounted M short-cut buttons.
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Overall
According to BMW, each M5 generation has brought us greater levels of technological innovation. That's one way of looking at it. Another would be to point out that only the first 'E28' generation version had a fully motorsport-tuned engine and that since then, we've lost the purity of straight-six engineware, the instancy and screaming character of normally aspirated power and what was once the founding tenant of BMW design, rear wheel drive engineering.
At the same time though, much has certainly been gained - as you'll discover at the wheel of an F90 M5 CS. With the standard version of this F90-series model, BMW's development team proved that an AWD M5 could still retain a rear-driven, enthusiast-orientated character. And they delivered a super saloon that's as happy collecting your dry cleaning as it is on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. This M5 CS would of course be even happier on the Nordschleife. But it's still the ultimate road going super saloon. As every M5 should be.
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