A host of little upgrades and performance-infused enhancements make quite a big difference to the cabin of the BMW M5 CS.
There’s a steering wheel with extra gloss black trim and Alcantara wrapped around its rim; some carbonfibre shift paddles; new red stitching for the car’s leather trim; one less storage cubby than in an M5 Competition (BMW has removed the armrest cubby to save weight and covered the gap with a fixed leather cover); and a ‘CS’ badge on the dashboard. The high-quality material feel of the G30-generation BMW 5 Series remains pervasive, though.
This is the first M5 to use the new ‘M carbon’ lightweight front seats. They have a slightly different design and colour scheme from those we saw on BMW M3 and M4 Competitions earlier this year. However, the curious hard carbonfibre inserts to be found front and centre on the cushions remain. The seat positions you even lower at the wheel than in any other current M5, in a driving position that feels instantly special.
It’s dead straight, really low, superbly well supported and, despite the aggressive appearance of the bolsters, comfortable over extended use.
This wouldn’t be the ultimate M5 if BMW had compromised its full sized-saloon practicality, of course. Comfortable, adult-sized passenger accommodation is therefore afforded in the CS’s second row, although that comes in two, individually sculpted seats. This means the car is a strict four-seater (there’s no middle cushion and no fifth seatbelt) and it can’t be had with a folding rear seatback, even as an option.
