The Evolution of the BMW Super Saloon Recipe: A Journey Through Four Different Circuits in the UK

BMW Super Saloon Recipe has come a long way since its inception, and this series is dedicated to exploring four different circuits in the UK that are favorites among Evo readers. The first circuit on our list is the Bedford Autodrome, which is actually Evo's home circuit. We hold numerous track days here, not just because of our offices being nearby but also because it's an excellent place to learn how to drive a powerful car like the BMW M5 Competition.

As I said earlier, the Bedford Autodrome is a fantastic circuit for learning how to drive a car like the M5 Competition. With its abundance of space and gentle corners, it's perfect for honing your driving skills without risking damage to the car or yourself. The M5 Competition comes with all-wheel drive and dynamic mode, which allows just the right amount of slip and slide, making it easier to handle, even on a track like Bedford.

However, this does not mean that you can afford to be lazy when driving the M5 Competition on a circuit like Bedford. You need to be very cautious and delicate with your movements, as the car will slide around like crazy if you're not careful. The M5 has 750 newton meters of torque and 625 horsepower, making it an extremely rapid and potent machine. This combination makes it feel truly exhilarating behind the wheel.

For our track day at Bedford Autodrome, we made sure to switch off the advanced electronics on the M5 Competition. We wanted to experience what the car is capable of without the help of its advanced systems. And boy, was that a decision that paid off! The M5 Competition handled beautifully, with its rear-wheel drive setup providing a thrilling driving experience.

As I shifted through the gears and pushed the M5 to its limits, it felt like I was in a total sideways hot rod. This was exhilarating, to say the least. However, we must remember that this is not something you can do on just any track or road. The M5 Competition would spin out if driven too aggressively. We had to be ready to take the lock off at all times.

The lap at Bedford Autodrome is anti-clockwise, which makes it a bit challenging, especially when the surface is damp. Even with numerous runoff areas available, there are instances where you need all the space you can get. Additionally, the kerbs themselves can be quite slippery, making it essential to get the lock on quickly but also being aware of how fast it will come back.

However, this does not mean that driving a car like the M5 Competition is always straightforward or straightforwardly fun. At times, it's more about being ready to adapt to situations as they arise and dealing with the consequences. This might sound scary, but trust me, it's all part of the thrill of driving a machine like the M5.

The M5 Competition has its natural balance, which allows you to exploit its prodigious power and torque without too much fear of getting bitten by the car. This balance is key when driving such a powerful vehicle, as it prevents the driver from becoming overconfident. It also helps to ensure that the experience remains enjoyable while still being challenging.

The M5 Competition suited our home circuit down to the ground, handling beautifully and providing an exhilarating driving experience. Whether we're on a track day or just out for a spin, this car never fails to impress. With its advanced electronics and rear-wheel drive setup, it's a true driver's car that rewards skill and caution.

In conclusion, our journey through four different circuits in the UK has shown us how versatile the BMW Super Saloon Recipe truly is. From the technical challenges of Bedford Autodrome to the outright fun of other tracks, this series has demonstrated just how capable the M5 Competition is when driven at its best. Whether you're a seasoned driver or just starting out, there's always something new to discover with this incredible machine.

The BMW M5 Competition is more than just a car; it's an experience that needs to be felt in person. Its performance, handling, and features make it an ideal choice for those who crave adventure on the road or track.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enbmw super saloon recipe has come a long way since the original e28 m5 in this series we'll be visiting four very different circuits in the uk all of them evo favorites and home to our track day and evening events should be fun so let's get cracking the bedford autodrome is evo's home circuit and we hold lots of track days here not just because our offices are over there but because it's a great place to learn on mainly because there's loads of space to play with which is just what you need when you're trying to get to grips with a beastie like this m5 competition as i say is a really good circuit to learn the craft is bedford i'm still in four wheel drive and i've got the m dynamic mode setting on with the diff which it just allows a little bit of slip and a little bit of slide like that but it will catch it for you eventually but you do have to be very kind of calm and delicate with everything you do even on a track like this when there's lots of space to play with because it will just it'll just slide around like that but that's because this car has such a phenomenal amount of not just power but torque 750 newton meters of torque along with 625 horsepower it's just it's just bonkers how rapid and potent this thing feels but we didn't go to bedford just to see what the m5 would be like with its clever electronics all switched on this time we switched them off why because you can let's have some proper fun let's let's do what you can't do on the road but you can do at a track like this and that's that kind of thing it would just do it forever brilliant absolutely brilliant all right this is second gear and i'm just up to third still doing it up to fourth and it's still doing it loopy soup absolute loopy soup that very nearly very nearly went too far then for it's so good okay here we go here's the up shift mid skid but this surface is particularly slippery and it's not very warm today either the lap at bedford is anti-clockwise which is pretty unusual and the layout on this west circuit is properly challenging especially when the surface is damp so even though there's an abundance of runoff areas sometimes you need all the space you can get and remember the kerbs themselves are often the most slippery bits of all when it's wet it's quite edgy when you want to take the lock off so you've got to get the lock on quite fast but when it wants to come back it comes back really quite quickly quite aggressively so you have got to be ready with you ready to take the lock off almost faster than you have to put it on but otherwise you get a bit of a yours mine yours mine situation going on and that's when you get spat off in a in a direction that you weren't expecting at all it's not as neat doing the big sideways stuff as some bmw m cars but that's just because these even when you unhook the front axle and you've just got the rear axle doing its thing so so just rear wheel drive the way the diff comes in and out is it's quite aggressive more aggressive than some other m cars so it's kind of slightly spiky in the amount of grip it has and the amount of traction and the ease with which it will break traction like that i mean that's just nuts absolutely nuts there's no way you drive it like this on a on a kind of regular regular track or tractor track day because you just get a red flag and told to go home immediately and have a word with yourself but that's the beauty of this place all this space to play with theoretically nothing to hit it's just cracking it really is i love the fact that you can be sat here in your 625 horsepower and five competition with four-wheel drive with all the safety systems switched on and then you can come to a place like this and you can go select a couple of different settings within the end menu and turn it into a total sideways hot rod it's kind of cool that you can do that isn't it really with its clever electronics switched on and tuned to suit whatever conditions you might find on a tractor at bedford the m5 competition is a massively fast and extremely efficient car it's fun but also incredibly secure and even when you switch those electronics off it still has a lovely natural sense of balance one that allows you to exploit its prodigious power and torque without too much fear of getting bitten just as all m5s have had since the very beginning either way and in whatever settings you choose the m5 competition suited our home circuit down to the ground so until next time cheers for watching and stay safe youbmw super saloon recipe has come a long way since the original e28 m5 in this series we'll be visiting four very different circuits in the uk all of them evo favorites and home to our track day and evening events should be fun so let's get cracking the bedford autodrome is evo's home circuit and we hold lots of track days here not just because our offices are over there but because it's a great place to learn on mainly because there's loads of space to play with which is just what you need when you're trying to get to grips with a beastie like this m5 competition as i say is a really good circuit to learn the craft is bedford i'm still in four wheel drive and i've got the m dynamic mode setting on with the diff which it just allows a little bit of slip and a little bit of slide like that but it will catch it for you eventually but you do have to be very kind of calm and delicate with everything you do even on a track like this when there's lots of space to play with because it will just it'll just slide around like that but that's because this car has such a phenomenal amount of not just power but torque 750 newton meters of torque along with 625 horsepower it's just it's just bonkers how rapid and potent this thing feels but we didn't go to bedford just to see what the m5 would be like with its clever electronics all switched on this time we switched them off why because you can let's have some proper fun let's let's do what you can't do on the road but you can do at a track like this and that's that kind of thing it would just do it forever brilliant absolutely brilliant all right this is second gear and i'm just up to third still doing it up to fourth and it's still doing it loopy soup absolute loopy soup that very nearly very nearly went too far then for it's so good okay here we go here's the up shift mid skid but this surface is particularly slippery and it's not very warm today either the lap at bedford is anti-clockwise which is pretty unusual and the layout on this west circuit is properly challenging especially when the surface is damp so even though there's an abundance of runoff areas sometimes you need all the space you can get and remember the kerbs themselves are often the most slippery bits of all when it's wet it's quite edgy when you want to take the lock off so you've got to get the lock on quite fast but when it wants to come back it comes back really quite quickly quite aggressively so you have got to be ready with you ready to take the lock off almost faster than you have to put it on but otherwise you get a bit of a yours mine yours mine situation going on and that's when you get spat off in a in a direction that you weren't expecting at all it's not as neat doing the big sideways stuff as some bmw m cars but that's just because these even when you unhook the front axle and you've just got the rear axle doing its thing so so just rear wheel drive the way the diff comes in and out is it's quite aggressive more aggressive than some other m cars so it's kind of slightly spiky in the amount of grip it has and the amount of traction and the ease with which it will break traction like that i mean that's just nuts absolutely nuts there's no way you drive it like this on a on a kind of regular regular track or tractor track day because you just get a red flag and told to go home immediately and have a word with yourself but that's the beauty of this place all this space to play with theoretically nothing to hit it's just cracking it really is i love the fact that you can be sat here in your 625 horsepower and five competition with four-wheel drive with all the safety systems switched on and then you can come to a place like this and you can go select a couple of different settings within the end menu and turn it into a total sideways hot rod it's kind of cool that you can do that isn't it really with its clever electronics switched on and tuned to suit whatever conditions you might find on a tractor at bedford the m5 competition is a massively fast and extremely efficient car it's fun but also incredibly secure and even when you switch those electronics off it still has a lovely natural sense of balance one that allows you to exploit its prodigious power and torque without too much fear of getting bitten just as all m5s have had since the very beginning either way and in whatever settings you choose the m5 competition suited our home circuit down to the ground so until next time cheers for watching and stay safe you\n"