BMW E60 M5 V10 vs Lexus IS-F V8: Fight!
We all love a head-to-head battle, and with the BMW M5 V10 and Lexus IS-F V8 vying for your vote to be crowned heavyweight champ, we're itching for round one. Combined, the BMW M5 and Lexus IS-F produce 917bhp, cost well over £100k and bark out enough V-powered engine and exhaust noise to stir the souls of our dearly departed.
And like Rocky and Ali, each car has its advantages. Want the last word in poise and power? Then perch your peach into the BMW. Prefer something a little less forgiving and raw? Lexus have the ride for you. Ultimately, however, there can only be one winner...
Here, Alex and Adnan will fight the case for their car in two knock-out rounds of no more than 100 words, after which the 'ultimate super-saloon' crown will be awarded by you in our poll.
Round 1 - Fight!
What other super-saloon (apart from the new M5) possesses enough flexibility to sooth and smother on long motorway jaunts, city commutes and chilled trips to the inlaws, while also being monstrous enough to hammer through corners like a sports car and draw the horizon towards its front-end at an unprecedented rate. Both ride and handling are sublime - cruise at 30mph and you'd think you were in a 530d - but open the M5's taps and the 500-strong symphony that's thrown out of the BMW's real quad exhausts will remind you not to underestimate the only V10-powered M5 in the model's history. Brilliant!
Real or not, the stacked pipes on the IS-F look epic, and they're a refreshing take on an otherwise boring configuration of linear, quad exhausts. Yawn off, BMW. Let's not forget that Lexus are masters in ride luxury and comfort, and the IS-F at minimal chat is unsurprisingly a beautifully soft and supple car that'll eat up the miles. But step on the fast pedal, and you'll unleash 417bhp with a stonkingly good V8 soundtrack as welcome company. The 'F' gets a lot of abuse because it's no 'M' or 'AMG' car, but you'd be a fool to pick a fight with this armed with anything less than a top performance block.
Round 2 - Fight
Well aren't you the special one with your fancy (and fake) tail pipes. As for 'comfort'? Gimme a break; sure, you've got leather, but where are the active bolsters? Granted, the tarted-up Toyota does put up a good fight in a straight line, but there are these things called 'corners' where, frankly, the IS-F handles more unpredictably than a heroin-addicted bull in a china shop. The Beemer at least works with its driver, not against him... I won't waste anymore words. The readers know what's what.
The reader most likely can't stomach the arrogance that seems to "come as standard" with all BMW purchases. A Bluetooth headset and gold-rimmed sunglasses must've become your bosom buddies during your M5 stint, no? Everyone knows the IS-F has Toyota ancestry, but with that comes reliability and Japanese production power... things just work. No problematic clutches or squeaky, malfunctioning seat bolsters here (ahem, E60 M5). Yeah, I just went there. And the fact that the IS-F is still putting in a shift against the M5 (and not the M3 - it's real competition) is a mahoosive compliment!
Over to the judges
We've had our diss say, but the ultimate decision as to who wins this face-off lies with you, the judges. So comment and vote away!
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